


The Spectator

by ArtemisWinnick



Series: The Spectator Saga [1]
Category: Gossip Girl (TV 2007)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Boss/Employee Relationship, Cinderella Elements, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Ethical Dilemmas, F/M, Mentions of Anxiety, Mentions of Cancer, Non-Judging Breakfast Club (Gossip Girl), Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, cinderELLA (get it now?), happy ending(s) if you know what I mean, let's pretend I know anything about journalism, let's pretend the cast of GG were good people AU, requited but unresolved sexual tension, slow burn so slow it burrrrnss, urban fairytale, workplace drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:08:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 72,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24489514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtemisWinnick/pseuds/ArtemisWinnick
Summary: What if our knight in shining Armani fell for a plebe?  The last thing Ella Vazquez wanted when she pursued a career in journalism was to be one of those writers churning out crappy Lifestyle articles about the lives of the socially elite. But this is the real world and sometime the last things we wanted lead us... maybe... to the things we really need. Set a few years after the show's finale, mostly in-keeping with canon.*Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Gossip Girl! I also make reference to a few real life people/ other fictional works and I don't own them either. Credit to Dr Holland over on Fanfiction.net, because her Clair de Lune series is what inspired me to finish this story.
Relationships: Chuck Bass/Blair Waldorf, Dan Humphrey/Serena van der Woodsen, Nate Archibald/Original Character(s), Nate Archibald/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Spectator Saga [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769071
Comments: 14
Kudos: 35





	1. What Not To Do In A Job Interview

The high rise the New York Spectator calls home stretched up from where Ella Vazquez stood to impossible, dizzying heights. She swallowed hard and put her eyes back in front of her. She was already nervous, staring up at where it seemed the building really was scraping the sky would only make it worse. Continuing her original course, she pushed through the lobby doors.

If she were being honest, the Spectator hadn’t exactly been her first choice in her job hunt. She obviously wasn’t planning on being _quite_ so honest with her interviewer. Oh, no, there would be nothing but deference and brown nosing on her part, but… let’s be honest here, this wasn’t the Times. Or the New Yorker. She wasn’t going to kid herself, she knew that the applications she’d submitted to those venerated establishments would probably never get a reply.

In fact, she’d even been kind of surprised when the Spectator got back in touch with her. The job market in journalism was saturated with college-graduate hopefuls. She was one wannabe journalist among millions.

Ella wasn’t sure what floors the Spectator was on, so she approached the front desk concierge who politely pointed her towards the elevator… which had its own operator. Awed as she was by this upper class amenity, she wondered why people couldn’t be trusted to push a few buttons on their own. She flashed the man a smile as she settled against one of the elevator railings.

“Good morning!”

“Good morning, miss. Where are you headed?” He asked.

“The Spectator’s lobby, please,” She couldn’t help her smile from getting wider at the sound of that phrase. What if she actually got the job? She took a sip from her Starbucks now and allowed herself a moment to fantasize— ahem, _visualize_ — a future here. She could see herself now, drinking coffee while she pored over rough drafts, all scribbled over in red ink… So what if the Spectator was a glorified tabloid magazine in broadsheet format? She’d be published and the thought of it was enough to make her shiver with excitement.

When the elevator came to a stop, the Spectator’s lobby was smaller than she’d expected. It wasn’t as grandiose as the high rise location would imply. It was beautifully furnished, though, all serious dark wood with a traditional but very clean aesthetic. A ‘40’s newsroom modernized. Bustling with activity, it fit perfectly with her little fantasy.

She moved towards the receptionist to let her know she was here for her interview. It was a short enough distance but she didn’t make it. Instead, she was promptly stopped by somebody tall and broad shouldered who had no business walking around bumping into her. Her coffee flew out of her hand, spilling all over her pristine white button up as well as the floor. She couldn’t help but exclaim some choice obscenities just as a male voice cried out:

“Oh God, I’m so sorry!”

She looked up from staring at the mess on the floor, ready to snap at whoever had just done this to her and remind them to _keep their eyes on the fucking road_ — but her words left her when she found herself staring into a pair of blue eyes. A pair of handsome, oddly familiar eyes, actually. It took her a moment to realize that he was talking to her.

“Are you alright?” He asked.

She looked down at herself as though to confirm, grimacing at her ruined button down, her soaked hand, and the puddle on the floor, before she replied.

“I’ll survive, but I don’t think we can save my cappuccino...”

“I’m so sorry-- Here, have it dry cleaned,” He had his wallet out quick as a flash and shoved a fifty dollar bill at her before stalking towards the receptionist.

“Thanks...” Ella mumbled, staring at the money in her hand. She appreciated the gesture but it wasn’t like she could get to a dry cleaners and back before her interview. She tucked the bill into her purse with a sigh before following the suit to the receptionist’s desk.

“Karen, I need you to schedule a phone call with the paper suppliers. Put Johnny on it, tell him to increase our order by half, okay?” She overheard the man tell the receptionist as she walked up. The phone he’d been texting on began to ring and he answered it immediately, turning slightly away.

“Yes, sir,” the receptionist responded, taking diligent note of her new orders. Ella figured he must be a top official around here, judging by the expensive suit and the authoritative tone of his voice. The receptionist looked up just then, saw Ella approaching, and smiled past the man at her. “How can I help you?”

“I’m here for an interview at 9:15 but, uh, could I get some paper towels to clean up the coffee I spilled?” Ella asked, already blushing as the receptionist looked at her ruined shirt.

The man, who had hitherto been distracted by his call, now turned around, frowning at Ella.

“You’re here for an interview?” He mouthed at her, before speaking aloud, “No, Chuck, I can’t do lunch with Seth today…I don’t care if he is a Forbes...”

Ella nodded. He held up a hand, signaling for her to hold on a second before turning around to finish his conversation. Ella looked at Karen the receptionist who was typing speedily… and still managing to make eye contact with her.

“Don’t worry about the coffee, I’ll have someone swing by to clean it up,” She assured her, fingers flying.

“Thank you so much—“ Ella began to thank her, but the man was done with his phone call now.

“Who’s her interview scheduled with?” He asked Karen.

“With Dan, it’s his department that has the opening,” She informed him.

“Tell him I’ll take the interview, I need him focused on getting his column perfect before tonight…” He trailed off pensively, then asked, “I don’t have any meetings until noon today, right?”

“No, the paper order was all for now, sir. I’ll tell Dan immediately.”

“Fantastic. Now, you.” The man turned to Ella, who was still processing what was happening. “Walk with me.”

\-------------------

The man, still fielding calls, lead her back to the elevator and down to a posh little cafe on the first floor of the building next door. They’d found a table before he’d gone to buy her a replacement drink, ignoring her polite protests. Now, she was in the bathroom dealing with her blouse situation.

Luckily, she’d been wearing a camisole underneath the ruined top. It was more revealing than she liked, but it was better than walking around looking like a used coffee filter. She ventured back out to their table. The man was still waiting for their orders, so she decided to confirm a sneaking suspicion she had about his identity. She scrolled on her phone and, following her hunch, googled the CEO of The New York Spectator.

Nathaniel Archibald, hm, definitely a familiar name. She remembered reading about him on Gossip Girl back when that was still a thing and she was still a teenager who was into those kinds of things. She clicked on the images tab. Those familiar blue eyes stared out at her from the screen. Oh. Shit.

Mr. Archibald approached then, bearing two coffees. He handed it to her with an apologetic smile as he sat.

“Again, I’m so sorry about this morning. I really have to work on focusing on one thing-- either I’m walking or I’m texting, but I obviously can’t do both…” He paused, looking down at Ella’s phone. “...Are you googling me?”

Ella’s eyes widened like saucers and she quickly exited the webpage, locking her phone.

“Uh…” She supposed there was no point in lying, he’d literally just seen her googling him. She sighed. This was not how she wanted this interview to start. “...Yes. Yes, I am.”

She braced herself for his reaction. He laughed, which startled her.

“Yes, yes you are?” He repeated mirthfully, before sipping his coffee. “Now that's exactly the kind of investigative journalism we want to hire you for.”

Ella blushed.

“Sir--.”

“Nate,” he corrected her.

“Sorry… Nate, most of the research I’d done previously was about the history of the Spectator and your history in business… Not looking up photos of you. I’m sure you can understand why I’d want to confirm who spilled coffee all over me,” She explained, sipping from her new cup with pointed delicacy. Nate raised an eyebrow at the gesture.

“Well, since you’re so well-read on my history in business, it might be interesting to start the interview by hearing some of your thoughts on what you discovered during your extensive research,” He smiled, clearly trying to corner her. Ella realized she was off to a bad start, but didn’t let that faze her. Whether he believed her or not, she was very well-prepared.

“Gladly!” She replied, setting her cup down and folding her hands. “I’ll start with some of the facts and then move on to my thoughts, if that’s alright.”

“By all means,” Mr. Archibald— damn it, _Nate_ , she had to remind herself— settled back into his chair, an amused expression on his features.

“Wonderful! So. I know that you’ve only owned the Spectator a few years. But you’re not only CEO, you’re also editor in chief and have taken a very proactive involvement in the newspaper. Since taking over the Spectator, you’ve expanded the business and political sections and cut back on lifestyle, which used to be the main attraction of the broadsheet publications. I, personally, am a huge fan of that choice, but it’s caused some financial trouble for the Spectator because your subscribers aren’t getting the upscale tabloid they’re used to.”

She paused.

“Not a terrible observation,” Nate conceded. “Although, you’re forgetting another important factor.”

“What’s that?” She tilted her head.

“This is the internet age. And we’re a _newspaper_.”

“True, but there are ways to get around that.”

“Go on.” The unnervingly handsome man sipped his coffee. Now, he looked actually interested in what she had to say.

“Well, if you think about the internet as your enemy, or your competitor, you’re never going to get anywhere. The internet is an asset, but it’s one The Spectator isn’t taking full advantage of,” she began. He didn’t move to interrupt her so she continued, “I know you probably aren’t going to like this comparison, but the model set by the Huffington Post and Buzzfeed are something along the lines of what the Spectator should do. A hybrid between your broadsheet and then a supplementary online resource updating daily with short editorials people can quickly scroll through.”

Nate was looking at her, that amused expression back on his face, so she quickly amended:

“In my opinion, anyway.”

“It’s funny that you bring this up, but let’s move on from the Spectator and talk about you for a little while,” Nate switched subjects, “I read through your portfolio a few days ago and went over your resume with Dan.”

“You did?” She asked incredulously.

“Of course I did,” Nate asserted, “The editors are in charge of reading through all new applications, but they usually filter out the best for me to have a gander at when we’re hiring.”

“So I’m… one of the best?” Ella sipped her coffee with a little smile. “That’s gratifying.”

“Well, your resume was a little thin, honestly,” He amended, “But the samples in your portfolio...they weren’t half bad, Ella.”

“Thank you, they’re not perfect but I worked hard on those,” She replied humbly, trying not to get a little ruffled by his comment on her lackluster resume.

“They were from your time at your university paper, right?”

“Right, I was editor in chief of Washington Square News, NYU’s independent student-led newspaper,” Ella confirmed, filled with nostalgia at the mention of her university years. So much stress. So much angst. So much fun, looking back at it now.

“For two years, am I correct?”

“Wow, you really did read my resume,” She laughed.

“I told you I did, didn’t I? Besides, it was a short enough read…” he commented slyly.

“Ouch, good one,” Ella chuckled. “What can I say, the job market ain’t what it used to be. Everybody wants to be a journalist and not everyone can be.”

“Well, that’s a great segue into my next question: Why should you, Ella Vazquez, be a journalist when not everyone can be?” Nate posed his question, leaning forward with some actual interest in his eyes. Ella took a breath before responding.

“Because I’m good at it,” Ella began, then paused, laughing. “Maybe that sounds cocky, but you’ve read my work. I’m a good writer and I have great work ethic. All of those samples you read were read and re-read, drafted and re-drafted, all in time for publication. So, I also work well on a deadline— very important in journalism— and I can adapt to any role you want me take, leader or team member… God, I really do sound cocky, don’t I?”

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing… as long as you live up to it,” Nate told her.

“As long as I--are you hiring me?” Ella froze in her seat, not able to believe it.

“I have to discuss it with Dan first, it’s his department, and then we’ll be calling your references to see if they can confirm just how good you are...but consider yourself in the front running, Ella.”

Her mouth dropped open— and loosed an unprofessional squeal.

“Oh my god, thank you so much! I could hug you— oh, thank you!”

“Hold your horses, I haven’t hired you yet!” Nate laughed, watching the petite young woman bounce in her seat, pencil skirt and all. He shook his head. She seemed a little excitable and he had a feeling that translated to some impulsivity in her personality— whether that would be good or bad in the long-run only time would tell.

But as they parted ways— with a handshake, not a hug, he noted— Nate had a good feeling about her. Dan would probably be relieved he’d taken the interview— He’d spoken to at least 20 candidates so far and had hated all of them. He, however, would also probably want a chance to screen Ella herself. Nate made a mental note to give him a half-day to call up Ella’s references.

There was no way he wouldn’t like the girl, though. Intelligent, witty, with a history in journalism and leadership... So what if it was only university experience? That was more than what he’d had coming into this business. And her samples were good. So good, in fact, that Dan had run them over to him when he’d read them. Nate didn’t go through everyone’s resume, despite what he’d lead Ella to believe. But she’d had an almost musical way with words, toeing the line between high-brow pretension and self-deprecating humor without ever erring too far to either side.

That was just the tone he liked— especially in the Lifestyle column.


	2. Shakespeare's Dick Jokes

“You took the interview? Why?” Dan asked him before taking a huge bite of his meatball sub.

“I had some free time and I’d just made her spill her coffee, so I figured—.”

“How’d you make her spill her coffee?” Dan raised an eyebrow.

Nate sighed. Dan was doing his Spanish Inquisition thing. It made him a great journalist… but a terrible employee sometimes. 

“I was texting and I wasn’t looking where I was going so I ran into her.”

“Oh…” Dan trailed off, before screwing up his mouth discontentedly. “Nate, I appreciate that you were trying to take something off my plate, but you can’t just take interviews with entry level writers…”

“This girl isn’t going to stay a entry level writer for long, Dan. Trust me.”

Dan eyed him suspiciously. “You know, Karen told me that this girl was pretty attractive.”

“So what,” Nate replied dryly.

“So… you didn’t just take her out for coffee and step all over any semblance of authority I have because this Eleanor girl was hot, right?”

“First of all, her name is Ella,” Nate corrected him, “Secondly, what the actual fuck, Dan? You really think I would do that? This is my newspaper you’re working at and I’m not just going to hire some girl because she’s attractive—.”

“I’m just saying! Nate, no offense, but you have a history of—.”

Nate raised a hand to point at him, “Thirdly, _you_ were the one who brought me her samples remember? She can write almost as well as you can—.”

“That’s… kind of insulting.”

“Dan, if it means so much to you, you can interview her yourself. The final decision is yours… but just remember how much you hated all the other candidates.”

Dan pursed his lips. “I’ll think about it. But I’m definitely calling her references and if even one of them is fake, she’s out, Nate.”

“Fine. Perfect.” Nate acceded exasperatedly. Humphrey was already miffed with him about restructuring his department, no need to continue poking the Brooklynite.

—————

Dan, being Dan, ended up requesting a second interview with Ella. She waved at Nate through his open door and the sight of her brought a smile to his face. Hopefully, Dan wouldn’t be unreasonable on purpose just to discredit Nate’s choice.

A half hour passed. Then an hour. Finally, a whopping two hours later, Ella walked back past his office, this time not remembering to wave. Nate moseyed on over to Dan’s office once she was gone.

The door was ajar, but Nate rapped on the frame anyway. Dan looked up from the book he had been rapidly flipping pages through.

“How’d it go…?” Nate asked, noting the frown on Dan’s face.

“She… ugh, she doesn’t like Tolstoy!” Dan exclaimed. “Said that War and Peace was, and I quote, “a snooze fest.” What kind of English major says that?”

“An honest one,” Nate observed under his breath. “Is that War and Peace?”

“No, this is Shakespeare, my complete works copy. She bet me there’s a “Your Mom” joke in Act 4, Scene 2 of Titus Andronicus…” Dan kept flipping, “Now, I know Shakespeare was definitely one for toilet humor, but Titus Andronicus isn’t one of his comedies, it's— oh. Oh, shit.”

“What?” Nate asked, moving around Dan’s desk to peer at the book.

Dan pointed:

Chiron: Thou hast undone our mother.

Aaron: Villain, I have done thy mother.

Dan and Nate looked at each other. Nate burst out laughing.

“I guess I owe her 20 bucks…” Dan said quietly.

“And a job, Humphrey! Unless you hated her.”

“Hate is a strong word… She annoys me.”

“Does she annoy you because she’s incompetent… or because she knows more of Shakespeare’s dick jokes than you do?”

“The latter,” Dan sighed. “I interviewed her for… Christ, two hours, and despite having terrible taste, she’s read all the cornerstones and has fantastic commentary on all of it. And her references love her. Like, legitimately think of her as a daughter.”

“Might mean they’re biased about her,” Nate played devil’s advocate.

“Or she did a great job for them,” Dan argued back. Nate smiled. If Dan was convinced, they could give Ella a call tomorrow. 

**\------**

When Ella received the call, she was bouncing off the walls ecstatic— an energy she brought with her on her first day on the job. She knew this annoyed the hell out of Dan but harbored hope that she was simultaneously charming him. 

“See, _this_ is not making me feel better about hiring you!” He admonished her when she started spinning around in her new desk chair. The cubicle was about five square feet, but Ella didn’t care-- she had a job at an actual newspaper with her own desk and her own chair and--

“And _work_ ,” Dan reminded her, dropping papers on her desk. “These are a list of articles with sources that need to be verified-- you’re going to go to the scanner and send a copy of our release forms to the emails specified on this list--.”

He handed her a packet of emails with names and other information. Sobering a little, she nodded. She’d done this for the Washington Square before she’d worked her way up to Editor in Chief. With a little hop in her step, she made her way to the printers. She was going to get this done so quickly Dan would have no choice but to be impressed. 

Once this task was finished she was given some copy to look over and edit-- but only a couple before she was sent back to the printers.

“You just got it done so quickly this morning,” Dan explained, with a pointed look at the other intern who, apparently, had all the speed of an arthritic elephant when assigned the same task. 

She realized he had a good reason to be pissed. After all, it turned out that his whole section was littered with newbies. And his assistant? God awful. He seemed almost new himself, like he’d been given the position recently. Taking all of this into consideration, thus, she did _not_ sigh resignedly as she took the documents from him and went on her way to the printer room

Nate, exiting his office, almost bumped into her on her trek past his door. Already wobbling under the huge stack of papers because of the near miss, a few papers slid off the top to the ground. She froze and closed her eyes.

“We really need to stop meeting like this,” he chuckled apologetically, taking in the frenetic energy rolling off of her and the harried expression on her face with some amusement. She opened her tightly shut eyes.

“Mr. Archibald, please, could you--.”

“Nate, Ella,” He reminded her, stooping to grab what had fallen. He placed them back on her stack carefully. She almost rolled her eyes but stopped herself-- she was talking to the CEO after all, even if he was being all cool boss™ with the first name thing.

“Right, yes-- I need to know, is bumping into me going to be a tradition for you?” She managed a friendly smirk as she re-adjusted her stack. “Because, if that’s the case, I’m certain we can think of something less destructive.”

Nate burst out laughing. 

“I want to argue that it takes _two_ people to bump into each other...”

“And I want to argue that I obviously had the right of way,” She returned, then smirked. “But whatever you say, boss!”

“Nate!” He insisted as she rushed off. Karen, approaching for a meeting, gave him a curious look. He wiped the smile off his face quickly and re-entered his office, waving her in.

“ _She’s_ pretty,” She commented, a little pointedly. Nate rolled his eyes.

“You know, that’s the third time you’ve said that. You sure you don’t want to ask her for her number or anything…?” That got Karen to laugh and move on from the topic pretty quickly, thankfully. He just didn’t understand why everyone was still so hung up on Ella’s appearance. She so obviously had talent coming out of her ears, god damn it!

Nonetheless, despite lingering looks and some oddly suspicious whispering around the office, Ella got into the rhythm of things. The other (“Totally incompetent!” Dan insisted) intern was let go. The other newbies got their shit together. They even bumped up her salary a little now that she was on the permanent payroll. An official Spectator employee, she found herself splitting her time a little more evenly between writing copy and turning the printer room into her natural habitat . 

Were vapid lifestyle columns precisely what she had wanted coming into this job? No, but she didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. She knew she’d work her way out of there one day. Besides, as weeks passed and she became familiar with everyone in the office, the job only got more fun. Sure, the deadlines were stressful, but she was doing exactly what she loved. She loved writing. And editing… oh god, it was almost embarrassing how much she absolutely adored editing. 

She’d proven herself so good at it, in fact, that the other Lifestyle writers started coming to her for a quick check before submitting things to Dan— less yelling and red ink involved that way. Dan noticed, but, surprisingly this didn’t upset him. Whatever had crawled its way up his ass when they hired her, he’d slowly mellowed out and he had to admit… He’d started to take a liking to her. The girl was talented. One day, he started leaving the other writers work on her desk for initial revision. He, of course, always got the final say, but the honor he was bestowing wasn’t lost on her.

This honor, after a few days, started to feel a little like she’d been promoted to his personal assistant. This was both good— yay for being needed!— and bad. Bad because now she was still stuck at the printers for at least a third of her days, scanning a different but still incredibly boring array of documents. (“You just get it done so quickly, El…”) The sound of the printer as it churned out copies was deafening— so much so that she took to humming while she did her work. No one could hear her over the noise, so she sang— quietly and almost never on key— while she fed the mighty machine it’s paper sacrifices.

What she sang to pass the time varied with her mood. One particularly trying afternoon-- Dan had only given her an hour to write copy before he sent her to do slave labor-- she was humming songs her mother used to sing to her before bed. Her family was on her mind more than ever and the songs were stuck in her head. The printer listened to her atonal humming, droning raptly on. She stapled leaflets together with a flourish of the stapler.

When she’d run out of lullabies, her memories took brought to mind other songs from childhood movies, classics her parents had seen in theaters back in Cuba and then shown to her when she was young in the United States. Quite a surprising bit of Rodgers and Hammerstein— and there was one musical of theirs that, once she started singing it, she just couldn’t stop. She’d forgotten how many absolute _bangers_ there were in The Sound of Music.

Following an enthusiastic, if unimpressive, rendition of Do Re Mi, she mellowed out a little. Her stack of documents was almost completely scanned, so, quietly, she sang:

_Edelweiss, edelweiss, every morning you greet me…_

_Small and white, clean and bright, you look happy to me… to me…_

She swayed back and forth gently, hands moving with exaggerated grace as she placed paper in the tray and pressed the appropriate buttons.

_Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow! Bloom and grow forever…_

_Edelweiss…_

She held it for a moment, longingly, getting into it.

_Edelweiss…_

Now with a sense of resolution, she grabbed the originals back out at the other end:

_Bless my homeland forever!_

She straightened the stack of papers against the table top next to the printer, two taps to signal the end of the song. Her moment of self-satisfaction at having done all of this in time to the song was short lived when she heard slow clapping coming from behind her. She whirled around, clutching a sheaf of paper.

Nate, leaning against the door way, finished his standing ovation.

“How long were you standing there,” She asked, feeling an embarrassed heat crawling up her chest. She hadn’t realized that she’d been louder than the printer this time.

“Long enough… I think we got through about half of the Sound of Music,” He watched as her cheeks turned a neon pink, a grin twitching onto his face. “Is scanning Dan’s weekly samples usually such a production?”

She bit her lip nervously, but smiled now as she regained some of her usual insouciance.

“Oh, yeah… you should have seen the costuming when I did the Phantom of the Opera. Real professional stuff,” She replied. He shook his head as she returned about her business. 

“Well, save me some seats to the next showing, I’m sure it will be entertaining,” And with one last laugh, he continued on his way to get coffee. Without really meaning too, he found himself humming Edelweiss throughout the remainder of the day and each time he had the same thought: What a _banger_.


	3. A Guide to Repeating Outfits and Befriending Your Editor

Nate wasn’t a constant presence in her day to day, but he was definitely still around— a fact Ella was ever aware of. How could anyone be oblivious to someone that freakishly attractive? Plus, he and Dan were close friends, so he passed through the Lifestyle section every once in a while to have lunch with him. This didn’t really affect her until he caught her singing in the printer room again. There wasn’t anyone around, and she checked the hallway first this time. But then 15 minutes passed and she got comfortable and she started singing some Spanish-language pop songs with more gusto than she should have and—

“I thought you said something about switching up the costuming? Because this just looks like your usual thing,” Nate commented from the doorway. She stopped where she was, but turned around slowly before looking down at herself.

“My usual thing?” She asked him.

“Flats. Pants. Sweater,” He pointed the items out to her, working his way up until he got to her narrowed eyes. He smirked. “And that ponytail, of course.”

She reached a hand to her hair with a little indignant gasp.

“Mr. Archibald are you calling me… an  _ outfit repeater _ ?” She whispered theatrically.

“It’s Nate, goddammit,” He corrected her threateningly, “And if the shoe fits… wear it every day I guess?” 

He laughed and left her huffing in the printer room. He was a fan of saying hello to all of his employees at least once during the course of the day, so from that day on, if he passed by her cubicle he would peer over to check out her outfit. Usually, she was wearing some version of pants, sweater and a ponytail and received a good ribbing for it.

“You know we don’t have a uniform, right…” He’d remind her. Then Ella would deliver the inevitable comeback and he would be on his way. She took to teasing him about his own outfit choices, calling him captain whenever she caught him in a shawl-necked cardigan. (It happened more than he’d ever admit, honestly… but how could he resist? It was comfortable  _ and _ stylish. Anyway, he knew she had the same dilemma choosing between comfort and sartorial satisfaction, as he liked to endlessly remind her.)

If Dan had kept his growing fondness hidden from Ella, Nate at least openly thought she was funny. There were moments, like when he was laughing at one of her jokes and his eyes got all blue and crinkled up, that it even seemed that he might actually be… flirting with her. 

But, no. That was ridiculous-- Nate just couldn’t turn off his infamous charm, that’s what it was. And he was  _ very _ charming. She knew this because she sat with Karen sometimes during lunch and she was always complaining of having to field a never-ending stream of calls from his conquests on a daily basis. And that was now that he wasn’t even actively dating, being too busy with the Spectator for much else. Ella could only imagine him in his hay day-- a womanizing force of nature. 

On the business side of things, he’d recently made the change from a broadsheet publication to a newsmagazine— a much more user friendly option that increased sales immediately. Were they still behind the Times and the Post? Yes, but they were making strides in what everyone thought was a dead market, which was nothing to cough at.

One day, almost six months since they’d hired her, Dan asked her to come to an editor’s meeting with him. Ella could hardly contain herself. She was  _ so _ excited, but kept a calm, cool, professional demeanor in spite of it. Well, calm and cool for her, anyway. Dan noted the little hop in her step as she followed him to the boardroom and smirked to himself. 

“By the way, Serena wanted me to tell you your column last week made her spit up her coffee,” Dan told her, remembering his wife’s cackling laughter when she’d read Ella’s description of the current mayor’s barely hidden affair with one of his secretaries. ‘A Tale as Old as Time… but not as old as Mayor Novak, who was seen playing hide the sausage with his secretary during dinner. And no, they weren’t at a deli.’ Nate had lost his shit when Dan showed him— and he usually hated the lifestyle section.

Ella chuckled, remembering when she first saw the photos. “Yeah, that was a fun one. I hate that guy.”

“Everyone does,” Dan agreed. He opened the door for her when they got to the boardroom. Ella made a beeline for the complimentary bagel spread, greeting the other editors with a smile. She scanned the room as she sat down, offering Dan an everything bagel with cream cheese.

“Ah, have I told you you’re my favorite, minion mine?” He joked, taking a big bite.

“I better be,” She muttered playfully. Nate, previously missing, now entered the room. He smiled— did Ella imagine it or did he smile directly at her? No, it was just a magnanimous smile for all his employees, she was certain of it. 

“All of you might be wondering why I gathered you here today,” Nate began, taking a dramatic tone that made Ella giggle to herself. Evil genius Nate was a side of him she’d grown to love during her time at the Spectator— and all his crazy plans always started with a meeting just like this. At least this time she would get to be a part of it. Nate heard the ruffle of laughter and it boosted his confidence. “Well, I know I’ve been dropping hints about something big I had in the works for a long time now. You’ve all been patient with me and I want you to know I appreciate it. But now it’s time to let you guys in on the secret—and to hear your inevitable feedback, of course.”

There was another ripple of laughter. Nate smiled before he continued:

“The Spectator is making some changes. We’ll be unveiling a new app in a month and it’s going to be all hands on deck to get it running.”

Ella’s eyes grew large and round. An app? Nate clicked off the lights and started his presentation with the tiny remote in his hand.

“I’ll be creating a new department and staffing it within the next few weeks, but all of my editors are going to have some training so you can help run the app. Basically, the way the app will be organized is going to mirror our newsmagazine, a tab for politics, business, sports, lifestyle, etc,” Images of a beautifully designed website and app flashed by, “You will hold the same responsibilities you do for your column except now there will be a new type of post you’re responsible for beyond your usual column. With the help of whomever we staff the web department, it will be your responsibility to provide headlines for the feed on a daily basis.

“This is going to be a massive undertaking, despite how short these posts will be, simply because of the sheer quantity of product we’re going to have to churn out to stay relevant. However, I don’t want to get stodgy on quality. We’ve worked hard to pull this newspaper out of its upscale tabloid era… and we want it to stay that way. We’ve already done some rearranging earlier this year, moving people from Lifestyle to our other columns and hiring new writers to fill in the gaps. We will be hiring again in the next few weeks to get some new blood for our web department, but I’ll be willing to take transfers so long as you can easily manage two positions or have someone who can take over your original post. As per usual, this information is for your ears only. Let our ad campaign do the talking before we launch the app. Beyond that… any questions?”

The board room erupted with hands in the air and questions shouted from every corner. Dan, meanwhile, sat stiffly with his arms crossed and Ella was frozen in her chair. He must have been planning this since before he’d hired her, but she still felt a rush of pride to have shared her ideas about this with him all those months ago. Glancing at Dan, she noted the crease between his brows and the grim set of his mouth.  _ Somebody _ wasn’t happy...

Nate fielded the editors’ many questions and had Karen take down the names of everyone who wanted a hand in the web app pie. Ella wanted to, but didn’t raise her hand. This was her first board meeting, after all, surely he wouldn’t want someone as inexperienced as her for this new project.

As the meeting dwindled down and editors began to leave to their offices, Nate walked over to Dan.

“You’ve been quiet,” He commented.

“This is why you took my team from me? For an app?” Dan snapped.

“I didn’t take them from you, Dan. They wanted a transfer, I just gave them the chance,” Nate replied, his tone level and slow.

“You cut my section by a third! And left me to work with a bunch of amateurs!” Dan stormed on, standing from his chair.

“The web app needs lifestyle contributions more often than any other column. This is a chance to expand your department again in a way that will be more profitable for you and for the Spectator—.”

Dan shook his head and walked away. “Nate, I— I’m going to go work on what I can contribute to your freakin’ master plan. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Dan!” Nate called after him, looking like he would follow. Ella watched how his expression changed as he hesitated, then visibly decided against it. He sighed. He looked down and, seeing Ella, his features softened. He quirked an eyebrow at her. “You want to flip out on me, too?”

Ella shook her head, forcing the corners of her mouth to turn up sympathetically. “I’m sorry about Dan’s… temper tantrum.”

“He has those every once in a while, I’m sure you’ve noticed.” Nate shook his head.

Ella made a non-commital noise and shrugged. “He’ll calm down.”

The tone of her voice made Nate take notice of how tight her smile was. Damn it. Dan had hurt her feelings. 

“He didn’t mean what he said, El.”

Ella looked down. “No, he’s right. I’m an amateur… I just thought he’d been happy with our work.”

Nate frowned and sat down next to her. “Listen, your work has been incredible. He just snapped because he’s angry with me, it has nothing to do with you.”

“Yeah, but--.”

“No buts. You heard my presentation, didn’t you?”

Ella nodded, making eye contact with him again.

“We talked about all of this at your interview. I’d had this plan in the back of my mind since last year, but when I heard you saying all of the things I’d been thinking out loud… It’s why I decided to hire you. You have vision.”

Nate watched as Ella screwed up her mouth, trying not to smile at the huge compliment he’d paid her.

“Well, you know what they say about great minds thinking alike,” She replied, a real smile finally breaking on her face. 

“Ah, modesty. Your finest trait...” Nate chuckled. “Why didn’t you ask for a transfer, then, Einstein?”

“I- I figured those positions were for the editors...”

“I actually had something in mind for you… unless it turns out that the Lifestyle column is your one true passion and you could never bear to leave Dan…” Nate trailed off teasingly.

Ella sighed theatrically, “I don’t know what I’d do without that ray of sunshine in my life… but what did you have in mind?”

“A junior editor position for our web format,” He told her. Her eyes got round as saucers, much to his satisfaction.

“For the lifestyle feed?” She asked slowly.

“Yes… for now,” He amended and-- there it was, the reaction he’d really been hoping for-- she squealed happily.

“For now?” She asked, reaching out to clasp his hand. He nodded, a grin on his face. He knew how much she appreciated this, how hard she’d been working… and how much she secretly hated the lifestyle section. She leaned out of her seat and gave him an impulsive hug. “Thank you!”

Nate froze a little at the contact, but the hug was over as soon as it began and she obviously thought nothing of it, still smiling like she was trying to split her face in half.

“You’re welcome, you earned it,” He told her sincerely. Ella wriggled like she was shaking herself awake, cupping her cheeks with her hands as she laughed. She then peered at Nate from the corner of her eye, who was very amused by this display, suddenly getting a little serious.

“...Am I also getting a raise?” She asked.

“Yes. But only a little one, at least until the app takes off. Then you’ll get raises proportionate to the profit we’re turning.”

“Fuck, yeah!” She hugged him again, before pulling away self-consciously. “Oh, god, I’ve got to quit it with the hugging. People will get the wrong impression!”

“We definitely wouldn’t want that,” Nate muttered, thinking about all the comments he’d gotten from Karen and Dan. That Ella Vazquez was physically attractive was undeniable. Beautiful, even, if you went in for petite, finely featured women who hummed the Sound of Music at the printers... But was he supposed to have ignored her talent? Would that have been any more fair than hiring her simply because she was attractive?

“Well, it’s 5 o'clock, boss. Let me see if I can’t talk Dan off whatever ledge he’s standing on,” Ella sighed, standing to go. Nate followed suit.

“See you later... junior editor,” He called after her. She grinned happily as she left. Yep, he knew why he’d hired her and it had nothing to do with the way she looked. Not even a little.

**\-----**

Dan’s favorite coffee stand looked just like every other coffee stand in a five block radius of the Spectator building. But, apparently, they always put just the right amount of whip cream and cinnamon when you asked for it, so it was there that Ella traipsed quickly before returning to her cubicle. Dan’s door was slightly ajar. She mentally buckled herself in and approached, giving the door frame a short rap.

“Come in,” was the gruff reply. Ella pushed the door fully open and entered the controlled disaster area that was Dan’s office. Sure, it looked like a mess, but Ella knew that Dan had a method to his madness. The bookshelves that lined the walls were filled to capacity and Ella had many times made herself at home in one of his armchairs to skim through a tome or two for inspiration (usually the Bible or one of Oscar Wilde’s works-- which, as she argued with Dan countless times, were always appropriate references when dealing with society scandal).

In the midst of this, Dan sat at his desk, papers splayed out in front of him, his hands flying on the keyboard as he transcribed some handwritten scribbles. He looked up at Ella expectantly.

“Hey, uh, you know it’s already after hours, right?” She asked.

“Yeah, I’ve got some stuff to do. What do you need?”

“Nothing, I just got you a little something to help you overtime harder,” She said, forcing a light smile so maybe he’d drop his guard. He looked at the distinctive coffee cup she was offering him, the tentative smile on her face… and immediately felt like an asshole. That was the most annoying thing about Ella-- despite the mouth full of verbal darts she carried around, she was still the  _ sweetest _ person. How was he ever supposed to wallow in any of his bad moods with someone like this around?

“I… Thank you,” He said, taking the coffee before pushing out the apology she deserved. “...I’m sorry about what I said earlier,.”

Ella shrugged as nonchalantly as she could. “It’s okay, I am, technically, what they call an amateur...”

“El,” Dan sighed. “You’re not an amateur. I respect the fuck out of you and your work ethic, nothing Nate has done changes any of that.”

Ella, seeing that Dan obviously had some things on his mind, sat down across from him.

“What has Nate done? The app?” She asked, putting her best listening face on.

“I- Yes, it's the app,” He began trying to find his words to explain himself, “But it's not just the app, its what the app means… I don’t know, you must think I’m a prick for reacting this way.”

“I don’t think you’re a prick,” Ella assured him quickly. “I think, maybe, you’re just tired of the lifestyle section. You feel a little typecast as the social commentary guy?”

Dan just looked at her. There was no judgement on her face, no bite of sarcasm in her voice.

“I feel so… ungrateful for thinking that way sometimes,” He finally said. “I know I’m lucky— in fact, any writer would be lucky to work here with stable pay. But ever since I wrote that novel years ago, everyone who publishes me treats me like I’m just a caricature artist for the elite, you know what I mean?”

“They treat you like you’re still Gossip Girl,” Ella observed. 

“You know about that?” Dan asked, trying to feel surprised.

“Oh, Dan, of course I do,” She laughed. “That was my shit when I was in middle school.”

Dan groaned. “Middle school. My target audience for the rest of my life.”

Ella rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic— Gossip Girl was good!”

Now it was Dan’s turn to roll his eyes.

“No, I’m serious! You think just anyone could have run an operation like that the way you did? And the writing was clever, I always thought so. But you outgrew that, just like you’ve outgrown the lifestyle section.”

“First off, several people did run that operation after me--“

“And the quality dropped immensely, but continue.”

“And I wouldn’t say I’ve outgrown the Lifestyle section. It’s still fun sometimes, but— God, don’t make fun of me for the cliche that’s about to come out of my mouth— but I feel like I have more to say, you know? I have characters that live in my head, not on the streets of New York.”

“Then write about them!” Ella exclaimed, “I would pay good money to read about the kinds of characters interesting enough to live in your head.”

“Kiss my ass a little harder, why don’t you,” He muttered, putting his face in his hands.

“Ugh, Dan. Look at me,” She demanded, not speaking again until he obliged. “I know you’ve been working on something on the side. All I’m saying is… keep working on it. This, here at the newspaper, can be the thing you do for money. There’s nothing wrong with banking on your talent, but don’t forget that you need to have other work that’s spontaneous and creative, too.”

Dan screwed up his mouth and sighed. 

“I can’t believe I’m taking advice from an intern…” He muttered sotto voce before giving her a smile so she’d know he was kidding. 

“Ah, there’s the Dan Humphrey I know and tolerate,” She remarked, feeling quite pleased with herself for dispelling his quasi-perpetual storm clouds— at least for now. “You should drink your coffee before it gets cold. And…”

She hesitated. Dan, for his part, grabbed his coffee.

“And what?” He asked after his first big sip.

“Nate stopped me before I came over here… He wants to make me a junior editor for the app.”

Dan froze. Ella stared at him, waiting for his reaction.

“Ella… Congratulations!”

Ella grinned hugely. He really sounded happy for her and for some reason this made her kind of emotional. Her eyes welled up suddenly.

“Thanks, I’m really ha- happy about it,” She said, her voice breaking embarrassingly.

“Woah, what’s this? Are you okay?” Dan’s smile faded as he saw her eyes grow luminous with tears. “You should be happy about this!”

“I am! I swear! I just— Dan, I don’t deserve it!” She blurted.

“What?” Dan asked with that incredulous little shake of his head she’d seen so often at Lifestyle meetings. “Ella, don’t be stupid.”

“I’ve worked here for less than a year,” She sniffled, blinking so she wouldn’t actually start crying. “I have dues to pay, don’t I?”

Dan frowned at her. 

“Who says you haven’t already? You’re a creative working in an unstable field-- all the rules kind of went out the window a long time ago. You might be just what the app needs, not some stodgy editor from yesteryear who knows nothing about today’s readers. Nate thinks so, which is what matters. Don’t question this opportunity. Take it. Do your best and I’m telling you, the results will be impressive,” he sipped his coffee. “God damn it this is good.”

“You’re welcome,” Ella said, much calmer now and able to manage a smug smirk. She stood up with a sigh. “I’ve got to head home… but thanks for talking to me. You should probably talk to Nate, too, at some point.”

Dan sighed. “I’ll go right now.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Ella smiled heading to the door. She paused before exiting. “For the record, I respect the fuck out of you, too and I’m gonna be the best junior editor this paper’s ever seen just to make you proud.”

“Attagirl,” Dan smiled. Ella stuck out her tongue and disappeared.


	4. Rumor Has It

Two weeks later the office was in upheaval. Interns rushed back and forth between editors who were busily working their writers to the bone—not only by churning out new material, but also redrafting posts because of the newly-assigned editors for the app. Some of whom were very young and  _ very _ scrupulous. Real hard-asses, honestly.

Or such were some of the things they whispered among the desks and cubicles of the Spectator. Hidden away in a boardroom next to the CEO’s office, sitting in a sea of paper out of which a few computers rose like islands, Ella thought otherwise. She thought, perhaps, the writers she was responsible for would have more time to redraft their work if they would simply  _ stop arguing with her. _ Every edit beyond those of basic punctuation or spelling was an immediate cause for an endless discourse on why the writer had chosen this particular phrasing or imagery or  _ whatever _ and no diplomatic wheedling from the young Ms. Vazquez would convince them to simply take the criticism and improve their work.

Ella was open to argument, but the amount of pushback had taken her by surprise. She and Dan had been tasked with keeping an eye on the political writers while their usual editor, Kendra Williams, was out on maternity leave. When she found out why they were  _ actually _ pushing back… surprise turned to indignant rage. 

“I… They…” She could hardly force the words out of her mouth, but she rallied and managed it, “They think Nate made me junior editor because he… thinks I’m  _ hot _ ?”

“Yep,” Serena replied, lounging behind Dan’s desk. Ella had come in to speak with Dan, but he’d been out and Serena had swung by with his lunch at just that moment. They’d gotten to talking and, at this point of the conversation, Ella was certain of two things: Serena was a sun goddess posing as a human being, and she was going to  _ strangle _ whatever writer had started this rumor. 

Seeing the murder on Ella’s face, Serena continued soothingly, “Hey, at least they think you’re hot, amiright?”

“I guess… but wait!” Ella gasped. “They don’t think I’ve ever…  _ been _ with Nate, do they?”

“If by ‘been with’ you mean ‘fucked him on his desk,’ then yes, they probably do,” Serena confirmed. Ella groaned in despair, but clung to the scrap of disbelief she was hanging onto for dear life.

“Dan told you they think that? Like, he’s heard them literally say it?”

“Heard them say it?  _ He _ thought Nate was hot for you when he first hired you! I remember he went on a rant about it,” Serena giggled. Ella’s face heated up.

“But… well obviously it's not true!” Ella sputtered.

“What's not true?” Dan asked as he walked in. He stooped to kiss Serena, “Hey, babe, I see you met Ella—.”

“Dan, you piece of shit!” Ella exclaimed. “You thought I slept with Nate?”

“What? No-- Ow!” Dan yelped as Serena pinched him, “Well, maybe for a minute there…”  
Ella stood from her chair. 

“I can’t believe this! Why?”

“Because you’re young and pretty and people are assholes,” Serena told her with a shrug when Dan turned to her helplessly. “I suggest you ignore them.”

Ella sank back down and shook her head.

“Dan, I left you some samples on the desk right there for you-- right there, the folder,” She pointed out the item she’d actually come to Dan’s office to deliver. “I looked them over and I have my own suggestions for edits but…”

“But, what?” Dan asked, flipping through the samples she’d brought. He was still her main supervisor, but it wasn’t like her to need double checking, especially on posts as obviously mediocre as the ones she’d brought to him now. “You should give these back.”

“I tried,” Ella said quietly. “The political writers won’t stop arguing with me so I said I’d review them again but-- well, you’re reading them. They’re terrible. This is why I can’t just ignore it, they keep treating me like I’m still an intern!”

Dan and Serena’s frowns deepened in unison. 

“I didn’t realize this was going on,” Dan shook his head. “I’ll give them a look over, but bring me your edits and we’ll see if I can’t get these people’s attitudes adjusted.”

“Well, have lunch first. It looks delicious... but then get back to me ASAP, please,” Ella stood from her chair to leave. “It was really nice meeting you, Serena, despite the unfortunate situation.”

Serena laughed. “Don’t worry, Dan will fix this. Right, babe?”

Dan leaned down to kiss her. “Mmhm.  
Ella took this as her cue to exit. Dan, for his part, finished enjoying his lunch and his beautiful wife before promptly taking a trip with her to the CEO’s office.

“Hi, Natie!” Serena gave the surprised man a hug.

“Serena, hey! What are you doing here?” Nate asked, giving her a quick squeeze before settling back down at his desk. One glance at Dan and he knew this wasn’t just a social call.

“Just bringing Dan his lunch. He’s got some stuff he wants to talk to you about.”

“Oh, what’s that?” Nate asked, suspicions confirmed.

“It’s about Ella,” Dan said. Nate leaned forward, a furrow forming between his brows as Dan explained what was going on. Serena, from her perch on Nate’s desk, watched the change in his expression. Interesting… She and Dan were going to have a lot to discuss after this.

“I didn’t know this was happening,” Nate sat back, shaking his head. “I thought you and Karen had just been joking about this stuff before… I’m going to go talk to the writers.”

He stood up with purpose only for Serena to quickly push him back down in his seat.

“No!” She exclaimed emphatically, “Bad idea. See, Dan? This is why I said we shouldn’t tell him at all.”

“What? Why?” Nate asked, now a little angry and raring to go cut the writers down to size.

“You can’t speak up for her! They already think you’ve got a thing for her, that would just make it worse. Dan, it has to be you.”

“But babe…” Dan hated giving big talks. Serena gave him a look. “Alright, fine. Nate, I’ll talk to them, I just thought you should know what’s going on.”

“And we also wanted to confirm you’re coming to Blair’s little soiree this Friday. She says you haven’t gotten back to her,” Serena added.

“Tell her of course I’m going. When have I ever missed a Waldorf  _ soiree _ ?” Nate sighed. He glanced at his watch. “Okay, guys, the IT people are coming in half an hour to set up the new computer system so as much I want to stay and catch up, I have to go find Johnny and get things ready.”

“We’ll get out of your hair then-- and don’t do anything about this situation, I mean it!” Serena kissed the top of his head before pulling Dan out of his office. After she closed the door behind them, she immediately whispered: “Well, I think we may have another problem.”

“What’s that?” Dan asked, as they made their way back to his office.

“Nate really likes that girl, did you see his face?”

“Uh, well, he just found out that most of the people working under him think he’s sleeping with her, so I can’t blame him for getting upset.”

“Are you telling me he’s never seemed interested in her beyond just professionally? Ever? Because you’re the one who thought he wanted to sleep with her from the get-go.”

“That was before I got to know her, babe! She’s not like that at all and Nate isn’t either… Not with her, anyway.”

“I’m not saying they are! She seems really sweet and you know how much I like her writing, but I’m 90% positive Nate’s got a thing for her.”

“Based on what? You’ve never seen them together!”  
“That’s true…” Serena conceded, the wheels turning. “But I feel like they’d be cute together… I kind of ship them.”

“You-- You ship them? This is real life, babe, not Tumblr. He’s her boss, it would be so wrong.”

“So wrong, huh?” Serena put her hands on her hips. “You do remember we were step-siblings at one point, right?”

Dan shuddered. “Don’t say it like that! And quit pushing this, there’s nothing going on between Ella and Nate”

“You know what, Dan? I have a little wager for you!”

“Oh, God…” Dan groaned, walking more rapidly. Serena kept pace with him easily, damn her long legs.

“I bet he _ does _ like her,” She continued, heedless of his groaning. 

“How do you plan on proving that, babe?” Dan exclaimed, unimpressed by her authoritative tone.

“Oh, don’t worry, answers will present themselves at some point. They always do,” She replied confidently, smiling slyly at him. “Come on, take the bet… or are you scared you’re wrong?”

“Well, what do I get if I win?” He muttered sourly. Serena leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Dan turned bright red. “Oh. And what if I lose? Not that I’m going to lose…”

“You take me to see Cats like I’ve been asking for the past month!”

“But you’ve already seen Cats!” He protested. God damn it, what was it with Serena and musicals…

“Once! When I was seven! Besides, what’s wrong with wanting a nice Broadway experience with my husband?” She defended herself.

“The Broadway part of it,” He said under his breath. She poked him in the side, not un-flirtatiously. Dan was wary of the seductive expression on her face. 

“Please?” She pouted. He rolled his eyes.

“Fine! But no meddling-- and I mean it! Now, help me figure out what to say to these fucking writers before they set us back another week.”

With that, they ducked into his office to confer.

**\-----**

Back in the boardroom, Ella was sitting with one of their political writers, Lauren Abernathy, a woman she admired immensely but was quickly growing to hate as they discussed Ella’s suggestions.

“See, and this here-- why did you mark this?”

“Split infinitive, see? It’s ruining the flow of this paragraph,” Ella replied. “The structure of this paragraph is a little convoluted, I think you should probably split this sentence right down the middle so those two clauses get their own space and you can expand on both of them.”

“But that would mean having to add a new paragraph! I purposely structured this so it would be shorter--.”

“I understand that you’re looking out for your word count but this… Lauren, the way this is, it just meanders aimlessly in the middle. It needs to be better organized. I will say, though, that the beginning is perfect. In fact, here,” She pointed at her favorite part of the piece. “Right here you sum up what’s going to be discussed in the article. The history of the NRA’s annual gala, what’s currently happening in politics that relates to them, and then a description of the people attending this year, which ties back to the history paragraph and the current events paragraph… You should use this as an outline and just fluff up each point.”

Lauren sniffed. “Organizing it that way was not my intention and I don’t feel like it would convey the information clearly.”

Ella took a deep breath, feeling some heat rise in her cheeks and ears. She would  _ not  _ lose her temper. She repeated this to herself like a mantra.

“I understand it wasn’t your intention, but right now your commentary is all bunched up in the middle and there are several facts that are necessary to fully understand what you’re saying that you don’t mention until much later. If it was confusing for me to read, imagine some average Joe scrolling through the Spectator,” Ella attempted to explain herself, keeping her tone even and courteous. Despite her best efforts, Lauren’s expression soured. She snatched the draft out of her hands.

“My column is not for the  _ average Joe _ , Ms. Vazquez, and I won’t pander to my audience like they’re a herd of toddlers incapable of putting two and two together. I know that’s what  _ you _ may have been taught to do at that third rate university you attended, but my column has it’s standards…” She said haughtily, turning to go… and walked right into Dan.

“Good afternoon, Lauren,” He greeted her dryly. “Where are you headed? I thought this was the time you scheduled to speak with Ms. Vazquez about your rough draft?”

“Daniel, could I speak with you privately, please?” Lauren asked, casting a glance back at Ella. 

“I think it’s best for you to finish your meeting with your editor, Ms. Abernathy. We wouldn’t want to waste her time.”

“But, Daniel, I really must insist that we speak--.”

“Then let’s speak right now, there’s nothing you can tell me that Ms. Vazquez can’t hear.”

Lauren set her lips tightly, looking between Dan’s stolid frame blocking her exit and Ella, who was doing her best to keep a neutral expression on her face.

“Fine. I didn’t want to embarrass her, but fine. These revisions are simply impossible, it changes my piece completely,” She finally said. Ella gripped her pen a little tighter and bit her tongue to keep from speaking.  _ Impossible? I mean, come on...  _ but Dan was obviously trying to help and she wasn’t going to ruin it by lashing out right now.

“Let me see,” Dan took the papers from Lauren and took a seat next to Ella. His brow furrowed as he read. Lauren crossed her arms expectantly. When Dan had finished, he sighed and handed it back to her. “Lauren, go back to your desk and edit this. It’s a mess. The only part that makes sense is the opening paragraph and then it turns into a stream of consciousness rant about the evils of hunting rifles. You know we don’t mind some ranting, especially for your opinion column, but I agree with all of Ella’s edits. The structure of this is rambly, even for you.”

Lauren gripped the pages, nostrils flaring, and turned to go.

“Oh, and by the way,” Dan called. Lauren stopped just outside the doorway and looked back.

“Yes?”

“Stay right there for a second,” Dan popped out of his swivel chair and jogged to the doorway. All the political writers had their desks in the open area just outside. “Alright, guys? Can I have your attention just a sec?”

There was a pause and a general quieting outside. 

“Great,” Ella noticed how he took a deep breath before continuing. “Look, I know it’s been tough working with a couple of hacks from the lifestyle section, alright? But please remember that it was your editor Kendra that requested we cover for her while she was out on maternity leave. I’m you editor for this interim, and Ella Vazquez is my assistant. As in she’s here to assist me in running two sections for a few weeks. So, let’s not make her or my job any harder than they already are, alright? Good? Great.”

Ella heard through the frosted glass wall of the board room as the writers muttered their assent-- and finally inhaled. She hadn’t realized she was holding her breath. Dan ducked back into the room, closing the door. 

“Thank you,” Ella told him, sighing. 

“They’re being assholes to you, it was my pleasure,” He assured her before sitting down to get to business. “Besides, no one calls NYU a third rate university on my watch.”


	5. To Meddle or Not to Meddle

Serena knew Dan had told her not to meddle. Not that she was one to meddle, anyway-- but, oh, who was she kidding? Finally settling a debate she’d been having for herself, she swung by the boardroom Ella told her she’d been working in instead of heading directly for her husband’s office. 

It was Friday but the atmosphere was anything but casual when Serena walked in. The room was a bustle of activity, drafts being brought in and out in stacks. Ella currently stood in the center of all of it, hands on her hips, looking at format comparisons the web designers had brought for the editors’ consideration.

“Hey there, Miss Power Pose,” Serena greeted her as she approached. Looking up, the deep furrow that had formed between Ella’s brows vanished immediately.

“It gives me a false sense of authority,” Ella laughed, hands falling to her sides. “Here for Dan’s daily delivery?”

“You know it… and I’m also here to extend a cordial invitation,” The blonde smiled congenially. 

“Oh? What’s the occasion?” Ella asked, keeping her tone casual. Somewhere, she could feel her past 16 year old self dying of happiness. An invitation? From Serena Van der Woodsen? She could invite her to a dumpster diving party and she’d be there.

“Well, our friend Blair is having a little dinner party and I just figured…” Serena trailed off. Dan was going to kill her, but this wasn’t really meddling, was it? Ella was a new friend, it was totally normal to invite her out. The fact that Nate would be there was just an added bonus...

“Blair?” Ella asked, eyes wide.

“Blair Waldorf-Bass, yeah,” Serena clarified. Ella didn’t bother correcting Serena, but of course she knew who Blair Waldorf Bass was! Most of her special occasion dresses were from her line at Bendel’s. No, her question had been more an expression of disbelief. This definitely wouldn’t be a dumpster diving party…

“Uh… when?”

“Tonight, 8 o’ clock. See you there?” Serena wheedled, poking Ella in the side. For some reason the young woman looked hesitant.

“I...Uh, I have to check a couple of things first, but I’ll let Dan know before I leave today,” Ella replied.

“Alright, fine. But I hope you can make it, Blair really knows how to throw a party!” Serena said as she exited the board room.

Ella sighed as soon as she left. She really wanted to go… but what the hell would she wear?

——-

“You invited  _ who _ to my soirée?” Blair asked. Serena followed along as she walked up and down the length of the elegant formal dining room table where dinner would be held, clipboard in hand. 

“Ella, Dan’s junior editor at the Spectator?” Serena offered to jog her memory.

“...Uh, have you ever mentioned her before, because I have no idea who that is…”

“Well, I really only met her this week, but she’s great, B. You’ll love her!”

“Hm,” was Blair’s dry reply. “I spent a week slaving over this seating arrangement, Serena, and now you come to tell me you’ve invited this random person at the last minute? Where will I put her?”

“Uh, I don’t know, anywhere? This table is huge!”

Blair looked shocked at Serena’s flippancy.

“Anywhere, she says. This is a Waldorf-Bass dinner party, not an all you can eat buffet.”

“Look B, I just want to invite one teensy weensy extra person. She’s already friends with Dan and Nate so you don’t have to worry too hard about seating her, just put her near us.”

“So near  _ me _ , you’re saying. Great. I really do hope she’s actually as charming as you say...she works for the Spectator?”

“Mmhm, she’s been working there for half a year now, a junior editor.”

“A junior editor? After six months? She’s either very talented or…  _ very talented _ .” Blair raised her eyebrows suggestively.

“She’s the first one, I think?” Serena answered cautiously.

“Ah, so who did she blow?” Blair inquired.

“I take it back, it’s the second,” Serena laughed. “She’s a really great writer, very funny.”

“So you want me to invite her into my home because of her talent.”

“Yeah, Blair. She’s a young NYU alum on the rise in a creative field, a little like someone else we know…” Serena said in her most convincing voice. Blair rolled her eyes. Serena sighed. “B, I think Nate likes this girl, but Dan doesn’t agree because he says I haven’t seen them together and then we kind of made a bet with each other... Anyway, I want to prove him wrong. See? This is about proving  _ Dan _ wrong. You can get on board with that, can’t you?”

“Isn’t she Nate’s employee?” Blair asked, but her expression had changed from one of dry dismissal to one of piqued curiosity.

“That’s besides the point,” Serena muttered. “Look, weren’t you the one saying you were worried about Nate’s dating life?”

“Well, the man hasn’t had a serious relationship in years, Serena. He hasn’t even been casually dating, just picking up whatever random whores have decided to throw themselves his way…” Blair tsked, her disapproval evident on every line of her face. “However, I don’t think setting him up with his secretary is a good way to break the cycle!”

“She isn’t his secretary!” Serena exclaimed exasperatedly. “And we aren’t setting them up… I just want to prove a point then there will be no more meddling from me, I swear.”

Blair looked her best friend in the eyes, appraising the overly innocent expression on her face.

“Fine…” She agreed slowly. “But I’m only doing this because it’s been forever since we had a good scheme!”


	6. A Plebe at an Upper East Side Soiree

Nate wasn’t necessarily looking forward to Blair’s dinner party. With everything going on with the app, all he wanted to do was stay home after work. But he got dressed and headed over punctually anyway, knowing that Blair’s wrath would be endless if he didn’t.

“Nathaniel, so glad you could finally find time to visit your friends,” Chuck told him as he gave him a thump on the back. 

“Yes, it’s been absolutely ages since you came over,” Blair agreed, giving him a hug.

“Yeah, I know. I’m so sorry, you know how busy I’ve been,” Nate replied guiltily. He really hadn’t been as present with the non-judging breakfast club these past few months, but he felt especially bad because Henry, Chuck and Blair’s son, was his godson. “But I’ve got a present for Henry--.”

“A present for me?” Henry appeared as though out of thin air at the mention of a gift. Nate chuckled and knelt to ruffle the kid’s hair. 

“Yep, but you’ve got to promise to be careful with it,” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small box which Henry immediately tore into.

“A compass? This is so cool!”

“This is the first one I ever used when I started sailing. I’m giving it to you so that you can help navigate us next time we take ‘Ol Skipper for a spin.”

“Thank you, Uncle Nate!” The child gave him a squeeze. Behind Nate, the elevator doors dinged open. Henry’s attention was immediately stolen. 

“Look at her dress, mommy!” He told his mother, who looked up to see an olive skinned, brunette beauty step out of the elevator… wearing one of her designs. 

Blair would have recognized it anywhere. Straight from her most recent fall ready-to-wear collection, it was one of the simplest evening pieces she’d ever designed. She’d been extremely hesitant about it, but she’d been dying to try something minimalistic yet classic— new-age Audrey Hepburn. The sleek black dress hit mid-calf, a slit cut thigh high exposing just the right amount of leg. The neckline was a work of art, one dainty strap juxtaposing the triangle that ran up the opposite shoulder. It might have been too dressy except she paired it with a pair of heeled, brown sandals and the daintiest of gold earrings. Interesting choices. It wasn’t how she’d envisioned the dress but… Blair approved.

Nate, who’d stood up and turned around to see what Henry was going on about, barely recognized Ella as she hung up her coat. He’d never seen her dressed this way. In fact, after that first interview, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her in a skirt. She’d set her dark hair free of its perpetual ponytail so that it fell down softly around her face in glossy waves. And her skin… revealed from under it’s usual soft shell of knitwear, it looked smooth and utterly golden against the sharp lines of her dress.

Ella paused, noticing the group of people looking in her direction. She gave a little awkward wave at Nate, who snapped out of his momentary shock.

“Ella! What are you doing here?” He approached her, abandoning the Bass clan. Ella took in the sight of him walking towards her in a gorgeous navy blue suit that made his eyes look aquamarine. She swallowed hard, trying not to let his appearance awe her.

“Oh, uh, Serena invited me… is she here yet?” She scanned the room hopefully.

“Not yet, but she should be here soon,” Blair swooped in, good hostess as she was. “You must be…?”

“Ella Vazquez, and you’re Blair Waldorf-Bass. It’s an honor to meet you, I’m a big fan of your work,” Ella extended a hand which Blair shook. It seemed a fitting way to greet the prominent young businesswoman. 

“Thank you… am I mistaken or are you wearing a piece by Waldorf?” Blair’s hands automatically extended as though to adjust the garment, neverminding personal space, thinking about how she’d almost gotten rid of the drawings for this design altogether...

Ella looked down at the gorgeous dress she’d bought only an hour ago at Bergdorf’s. It had cost an arm and a leg… but it had been worth it.

“Yes, I am actually. I figured it would be appropriate,” She smiled sheepishly.

“You thought right, it’s gorgeous on you. Isn’t it just beautiful on her, Nate?” Blair asked, suddenly turning to her lifelong friend who seemed curiously quiet. She wondered if Serena might be right...

“Yes, the dress is beautiful, Blair,” Nate said. Ella’s cheeks were warm from feeling his eyes sweep over the length of her. A little boy tugged on her wrist. She glanced down.

“Well, hey there,” She smiled.

“You’re wearing one of Mommy’s dresses,” he remarked.

“I am! I thought it was so pretty I just had to have it,” Ella told the boy, who looked pretty dashing himself in a little suit. She crouched a little to get on his level. “That’s a nice suit you’ve got there...You must be the famous Henry Bass, right?”

“That’s me!” He giggled as his father joined them. “Daddy, I’m famous!”

“Of course you are, you’re a Bass. Good evening, I’m Chuck. Chuck Bass. Welcome to our home,” the young patriarch introduced himself with a handshake as Ella straightened back up. He noticed she was wearing one of Blair’s dresses. “Nathaniel, I didn’t realize you were bringing a date.”

Nate and Ella began to protest in unison.

“Oh, I’m not his date!“

“I didn’t-- Serena invited her—!”

“I see,” Chuck gave Blair a sideways glance. He, of course, was perfectly aware that this woman wasn’t Nate’s date, but his best friend had been missing in action for far too long for him to waste a moment _not_ giving him a hard time. His wife elbowed him gently— but not too gently. “Oof— Uh, I mean, drinks are in the sitting room?”

“Oh, yes. Sign me up for some of that please,” Ella replied quickly. 

Apart from the sideways glances that seemed to follow her everywhere she went nowadays, she’d been well-received so far. Still, she was nervous, surrounded by a kind of opulence she’d only ever seen in the glossy pages of a magazine. The house was beautifully decorated for the event in bronze and ivory, beautiful metallic streamers and all white flower arrangements abounding. A plump maid in a pristine uniform came to scoop up the young Henry Bass before their little cluster of people made their way to the sitting room. Ella found herself hanging towards the rear, taking it all in. _What the hell am I doing here?_

“How’re you doing?” A familiar voice asked her. Ella looked up at Nate, suddenly at her elbow.

“Fine...” She replied unconvincingly.

“Nervous?” He asked, voice low. Ella couldn’t help but make a little grimace as she signaled so-so with her hands. Nate chuckled. “Don’t worry about it, I won’t leave you by yourself.”

Ella felt a relieved smile spreading across her face— then, she was attacked by a pouncing Serena.

“Ella! You came!” She squeezed the smaller woman in a bear hug.

“Oh! Hey!” Ella returned the embrace before greeting Dan, by her side. “Well, I got to thinking and I realized I’d be an idiot to turn down an invite to a Waldorf-Bass dinner party.”

“Wise choice,” Chuck commented, already sipping a drink by the resplendent mirrored wet bar. He swept a hand at the vast selection “What’s your poison?”

“Uh… Jack and coke would be fine,” Ella replied after a moment’s consideration.

“Hm, how very… collegiate of you,” Blair sniffed, sipping a gin martini.

“What can I say, you never outgrow the basics,” Ella laughed, interiorly hitting herself for not requesting a martini, or champagne or… God, anything else.

“I’m a whiskey man myself,” Chuck signaled the bartender. “And you, Nathaniel?”

“I think I’ll take Jack, no coke, thanks,” Nate replied. 

Blair watched as he glanced at Ella _again_ who, of course, was glancing back and smiling at his little joke. The two of them exchanged a few more words no one else could quite hear, and while they were distracted Serena made eye contact with Blair, who was obviously watching the same display. Dan narrowed his eyes at his wife when she turned back to him and she shrugged innocently, a small self-satisfied smile on her face.

“Daniel? Serena?” Chuck continued, catching their attention.

“Well, _Charles_ , beer would be more than okay,” Dan replied.

“Careful, I only let Blair call me Charles…” the man grinned devilishly, with a wink at his wife. She smiled at him dotingly. Ella surreptitiously studied the pair, remembering all those long-ago Gossip Girl posts. She wondered if they would live up to their depictions or if Dan had been a caricature artist even then. 

“Am I the only one who is just exhausted after this week?” Dan asked Nate and Ella who turned to him, drinks in hand, as Serena conversed with Chuck and Blair, sipping on champagne.

“Ugh, no. I’m _dead_ right now. You’re currently speaking to my ghost,” Ella laughed.

“I could probably sleep for a month,” Nate sighed. “But things are going pretty well with our little venture so far, aren’t they?”

He looked meaningfully at Dan. Ella caught the look, but had no idea what it meant. Dan, for his part, nodded his assent. Nate hadn’t been around for his little speech to the writers, but Dan felt certain he’d handled their little Ella problem.

“Things are moving along, I will say that,” He confirmed aloud.

“Eh, it won’t be so bad once we get into a good rhythm with the writers,” Ella commented, thinking they were talking about the app. “It’s just an adjustment for everybody.”

She sighed a little as she said that and Nate, for the hundredth time since Dan had spoken to him, felt terrible about Ella’s predicament at the office. If she just wasn’t so damn _pretty…_

“Dan, come here! I think Blair invited Junot Diaz!” Serena suddenly pulled Dan away. Ella looked around for the young author (one of her favorites), but Nate immediately recaptured her attention.

“How has it been going for you at the office, by the way? I haven’t really been able to check in with you this week.”

“It’s been going… well…” Ella replied slowly. She still assumed he meant how she was doing in relation to the app. “But should we be talking about our little… project… in public?.”

Nate glanced around at the crowd of people. Usually he’d be out there among them, shaking hands, saying hello, but he was just so tired all he wanted to do was sit and talk with someone familiar.

“You’re right, wouldn’t want to give anything away,” He agreed.

Ella giggled, glad to be off the subject of work. “In a more _general_ way, how have you been these past couple of weeks?”

“Busy. Ridiculously busy. I haven’t done anything just for fun in... ages,” Nate told her, sighing. “I also hadn’t seen these guys all together in the longest time, so I figured I ought to make an appearance tonight. Wasn’t expecting to see you, though.”

“I was kind of surprised myself. This isn’t really my usual scene.” Ella admitted. 

“Oh, and what’s your usual scene?” Nate was actually curious, he had no idea what the junior editor did during her time off.

“Uh, I don’t know, the dive bar by my apartment with college friends probably? Or the inside of my apartment itself, which I haven’t seen all day… In any case, it isn’t half as nice as this.”

Nate laughed. “Now when you say dive bar, do you mean actual hole in the wall or hipster hangout designed to look like a dive bar?”

“Oh, no, it’s a real, honest to goodness dive bar— health code violations and all.”

“Are the drinks any good?”

“Nope, but they’re cheap and they get the job done quick— this Jack and coke is really good, by the way. Are they using some kind of special Jack Daniels reserved just for you upper crust folks?” Ella sipped her drink with a little smile.

“Not that I know of… though the Coke is definitely private reserve,” Nate replied. Ella chuckled. Blair and Chuck passed by them, the doors to the dining room now open. Nate nudged Ella. “Come on, I think it’s finally time to eat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I refer to Nate's boat as Ol' Skipper, but I truly doubt that's what it's actually called. If it's ever mentioned on the show, let me know what its actual name is in the comments!


	7. Table Manners

“Are there assigned seats or…” Ella murmured as they made their way over to the dining room.

“Yeah, probably, just look for your name,” Nate advised her.

“Ooh, this is like the first day of school,” She giggled with a nervous little shake. Nate put what he meant to be a reassuring hand on the small of her back— but removed it immediately. Ella was surprised by even the brief moment of contact. He usually never touched her. 

Nate made a beeline to where Blair and Chuck were already seated, knowing they would have placed him near them. Ella trailed behind, hoping she wouldn’t be seated far from Nate. He took a look at the place cards and, sure enough, Ella was seated between him and Serena. 

He pulled out her seat with a gentlemanly sweep. “Madame.”

“Why thank you, good sir,” She giggled again, taking her seat. While she sat, Nate caught a glimpse of bare thigh as the slit in her skirt parted for a brief moment. Ella adjusted it with a shake of her head. 

“This is why I always wear pants,” She commented in a whisper, making him smile as he sat.

He began to reply-- and it was going to be witty, too-- but was interrupted by an older man who clapped him on the shoulder

“Nathaniel Archibald, as I live and breathe! Haven’t seen you out and about in ages!”

“Max, how are you doing?” Nathaniel stood to shake the man’s hand. Ella stared wide-eyed. Max? As in Max Thompson, the CEO of the New York Times? Now, _this_ was a CEO that she didn’t have to google to recognize!

“Fine, just fine. How’s that troublesome family of yours? Or that upcoming mayoral election I’ve been hearing rumors about?”

Nate laughed. “Ah, the reporter in you never rests, does it Thompson?

Lighthearted as his tone was, Ella saw him square his shoulders tensely. Realizing he was being rude, Nate stepped back so Ella came into Mr. Thompson’s view. “Ella, this is Max. Max, Ella.”

Ella stood quickly to shake his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Thompson.”

He took her hand. “Please, call me, Max. Nathaniel, I didn’t realize you were dating. She’s absolutely lovely!”

The man circled the table to take his seat just across from them as Nate opened his mouth to correct him. However, Ella beat him to it, a charming smile spreading across her face.

“ _She_ appreciates the compliment, but _she_ is not his date,” She corrected him liltingly, taking her seat again before leaning forward to say in a confidential tone, “Honestly, I just tagged along for the free food.”

Max laughed. “I can’t blame you, the last Waldorf-Bass dinner party had a chocolate fountain for dessert.”

“Ooh, here’s hoping,” Ella replied with a grin. “Chocolate is my weakness.”

“Isn’t it everyone’s?” He assented jovially. “How do you know the young Archibald, then?”

“Well, she’s been writing for our Lifestyle column for some time now, but we recently promoted her to junior editor,” Nate chimed in. “She’s one of our paper’s rising stars.”

“What did you say your name was, my dear? Perhaps I’ve read you,” Max inquired.

“Ella Vazquez, but I really doubt—.”

“Vazquez, huh?” Thompson seemed lost in thought, “The name is familiar, did you by chance cover the mayor’s affair?”

“I did,” Ella answered, for some reason getting a little embarrassed. What a strange thing to be known for…

“That was comedy gold, my girl. _Gold_ ,” Max exclaimed, “You were my little guilty pleasure every Sunday morning… I read work from all my competition, you see. The pieces you authored were refreshing, not like some of the other lifeless articles the Spectator has published in their Lifestyle section before, ironically enough...”

Ella and Nate’s smiles froze on their faces. 

“Mr. Thompson! What a pleasant surprise,” Dan said dryly as he and Serena came to take their seats. The two men eyed each other with faux-pleasant smiles on their faces. Blair, now also seated by the head of the table, watched the goings on over the edge of her champagne glass. A little tension at the dinner table was never a bad thing, she’d figured, and Max was outnumbered six to one should the conversation get too sour.

Ella caught Nate’s eye and raised her eyebrows, mouth still set in a calm smile. _Why is this happening???_ She asked with her eyes. Nate shook his head, expression unperturbed and even a little amused. It was just like Blair to make sure he butted heads with his competition tonight. He’d spent too many months off the radar.

The meal was a smashing success, initial awkwardness aside. And Ella… well, she wasn’t doing too badly dealing with the table of entrepreneurs and artists that Blair had invited. Junot Diaz was, in fact, in attendance and Serena was quick to introduce the two of them. She and the acclaimed author quickly lost the rest of the table as they started comparing hometown slang.

“Do you have any idea what _coño_ means?” She asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

“Well, it means… you know,” He laughed. 

“It took me _twenty years_ to figure it out, Junot! My whole life I said that word and had no idea…” She shook her head.

Nate was not bothered by Ella talking over him to the author in the slightest. No, on the contrary, he was glad she was a good time after having been so nervous before… though it did seem rather rude how someone always seemed to interject just as he began to say something. Be it Junot, or Serena, or Thompson, there was always someone there to one-up him with a witticism. He wasn’t terribly bothered, a casual smile always at the ready, but still… kind of rude.

None of the members of the non-judging breakfast club failed to notice where Nate’s attention kept turning during dinner. There were two levels to dinner party conversation, as these Upper East Siders well knew: personal and full-table. Full table was the general direction of conversation maintained by everyone seated. Personal referred to the little asides you reserved for the person next to you-- usually someone you felt closer to than the rest of the guests. Ella and Nate were doing a fantastic job of keeping up with the full-table conversation, but when it came down to little whispered jokes and quiet laughter, they always turned to each other. 

Dan ignored the smug looks he was getting from Serena-- and Blair and Chuck, who were apparently on his wife’s side. Of course they were. Still, if Ella was flirting with anyone it was Junot, and even that was just friendly, intellectual banter. Nate and Ella were coworkers and friends, weren’t they? Friends talk to each other, for Christ’s sake! Their behavior was absolutely normal and Dan was not about to hop aboard his friends’ doomed ship. 

The drink kept flowing and the conversation just got livelier, the guests receding into the personal level of things more and more, chatting with their seatmates. Eyes were bright, cheeks were flushed, and the air was thick with the scent of food and liquor. When dinner had ended, all the guests wandered into the various sitting rooms of the Waldorf-Bass household. The couples paired off-- Serena quickly dragged Dan away from Nate and Ella when he moved to join them in the dessert room.

“No meddling!” She reminded him, much to his frustration.

“Says the Grade A meddler! Inviting her to a dinner party and leaving her alone with him-- I mean come on!” He complained as they headed back to the bar. Still, bet or no bet, they were both a little tipsy and Dan didn’t really want to spend his night babysitting Nate and Ella when he could actually be enjoying himself with his wife.

This left their subjects of interest basically by themselves, chatting by the dessert table. There was a chocolate fountain, just as Ella had hoped.

“Do you visit Miami often then?” Nate asked her, continuing a conversation they’d started at the dinner table about their respective childhoods. She dipped a strawberry in the outpouring of liquid chocolate and took a big bite. Nate attempted not to watch as her lips parted sumptuously over the pink fruit and failed spectacularly.

“I try to, especially during the holidays. All my family is still there and I miss them so much… Have you ever been?” She asked, turning those big brown eyes on him.

“I summered there a few times. The deep sea fishing was outrageous,” Nate recalled fondly the sultry summer days he’d spent with beer, his pals and fishing rods just off the coast of Miami. 

“Ooh, deep sea anything isn’t really my cup of tea,” Ella laughed. “I’m terrified of deep water… but boats really aren’t so bad, I just hate stuff like snorkeling.”

“Snorkeling is awesome, what are you talking about?” Nate was incredulous. “The coral reefs are so beautiful down there, it’s such a waste not to enjoy them!”

“I— there are sharks! You should see the aerial footage of their yearly migration right by South Beach!”

Nate rolled his eyes. He could feel his drinks getting to him, surprisingly enough, and he felt relaxed for the first time in months. 

“All I’m hearing is that you’re a scaredy cat who’s afraid of a little _water_.”

“It’s an oceanful of water, actually, so not _a little_. And I’m not a scaredy cat, don’t be juvenile!” Ella hmphed indignantly. Nate smiled. 

“Juvenile, what a word… you know we’re not at work, right?” he teased.

“Oh, we aren’t? I hadn’t noticed, but I guess that explains why I’m tipsier than usual…” Ella quipped, taking an emphatic sip of her drink. She’d switched to a more dignified flute of champagne, and the delightful fizzing was going straight to her head, resting on the solid alcohol content of her Jack and Coke. Nate snorted at her haughty expression.

“You’ve got a flask stashed away in your desk, do you?” He raised an eyebrow.

“No…” She said with exaggerated innocence, looking left, then right and then back at him. He burst out laughing and she smiled. He had a really nice laugh, she wanted to make him keep doing that.

“So, are you going to leave me for Max Thompson, or what?” He asked suddenly, tone still teasing but voice a little lower.

“Why on earth would I do that?” She frowned at the sudden change in subject.

“Oh, I don’t know, all the giggling and the ‘Gosh, Mr. Thompson, I sure hope so!’” Nate imitated her, his voice high pitched. She smacked him amiably in the arm with her clutch.

“I do not sound like that! I just really like chocolate fountains, okay?” She told him to make him laugh again. She succeeded and she felt warm all over. “Anyway, I had to do _something_ to dispel all that tension you two had... I wasn’t imagining that, was I?”

“He hasn’t always been pleasant with me, so I always expect the worst when he’s around, unfortunately,” Nate sighed. “Tonight wasn’t so bad, though.”

“He was quite taken with my sparkling personality, I think,” Ella said, fanning herself with a napkin. Her eyes flitted to him slyly. “I just didn’t realize you were still running for mayor, Nathaniel…”

Nate laughed. “Neither did I, but people keep asking me about it.”

Ella gave him an appraising look. Nate had all the fixings of a political candidate-- experience in leadership and business, intelligence, good looks and, above all, a family name to back him. But the Vanderbilt scion didn’t look excited at the prospect of taking his rightful place, ruling over this corner of the world. She couldn’t help but wonder why.

“You think you’d ever actually go for it...again?” 

He scoffed and took a gulp of his drink.

“My grandfather would fucking love that, wouldn’t he?” He shook his head. “You know, last year wasn’t the first time I… _ventured_ into the world of politics...”

“Really?” Ella was in full-listening mode now. Nate had seen that expression before, the tilt of the head, the wide open eyes, the slightly furrowed brow. It was just so inviting, like she really cared about what you had to say… He knew that she used it on everybody, but that didn’t stop his mouth from opening again.

“Yeah... My cousin, Trip… He did the mayoral race some years back and I was the head of his team,” Nate’s expression was tense now. The furrow between Ella’s brows deepened minutely.

“Some years back? How old were you?” She asked. She thought he’d been pretty young for that short-lived campaign last year when she’d heard about it, but...

“I’d just turned twenty,” He chuckled when her brows flew to her hairline. “I know, it's pretty young but… my family has high expectations of me. Had to get started early, you know?”

“Right,” She chuckled, trying not to sound too concerned or judgmental. She knew the Archibalds were a family with political ties, but Nate couldn’t have even been done with college by then... “It must have been a hell of a responsibility for you.”

“You have no idea,” There it was again, that expression on Nate’s face that worried her. From what Dan and Serena had told her, Nate’s family life was difficult sometimes, but she could feel there was something else to this story besides just familial squabbling. Talking about it was bothering him too much… and why had his campaign last year been so short lived, after all? She didn’t think she just could up and ask him, so she danced around it.

“Would you ever consider taking up politics again?” She pressed gently.

“I don’t think so… Do you know anything about Trip’s campaign or were you still in Florida at the time?” He asked her. 

“Still in Florida, I’m afraid.”

“Well, the campaign didn’t go so well. I tried a publicity stunt for Trip that ended up ruining his entire political career,” Nate buried his face in his glass again. Why was he talking to her about this? Hadn’t they been talking about snorkeling five seconds ago?

“Damn,” She raised her eyebrows. “Well, that’s what your cousin gets, hiring a 20 year old with no degree to run his mayoral campaign...”

She laughed lightly, sipping her champagne. The casual gesture immediately set Nate at ease again. He laughed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Hey! I didn’t do too badly until the whole stunt when south,” He muttered good naturedly. “Besides, Trip didn’t really have any say about it. It was my grandfather. Just like it was my grandfather who pushed me to run last year.”

Always his grandfather. His expression darkened again and he took another sip of his drink. Ella internally shook her head at how easy it was to read his face right now. She wondered if her own emotions were so obvious when she was tipsy.

“Got grandaddy issues, Nate?” She asked teasingly, hoping to lift the frown off his face. He narrowed his eyes at her. Of course, she’d make fun of him. That’s just how Ella was-- sweet as a saint one minute, dropping inappropriate jokes the next.

“God, don’t ever say that again,” He rolled his eyes. But she’d made him crack a smile, so she didn’t feel remotely guilty. Nonetheless, she decided to change tack. She could ask him about his own mayoral campaign later.

“Is it my imagination or is it a little warm in here?” She fanned herself, shaking her hair back.

Nate actually had noticed. The air was thick from all the drunk dinner guests.

“We could wander over to the balcony, it should be cooler there,” he offered.

“That would be lovely,” She assented primly, following him out past the dining room to the residence’s largest balcony, canopied and boasting one of the most spectacular vistas of Central Park she’d ever seen. Ella sighed in open admiration. “It’s so beautiful.”

The air was nice and brisk out here. Nate inhaled gratefully. 

“I’ve always loved this park, especially now in the fall,” He told Ella.

“Yeah, fall-time is always so magical around here,” Ella gazed out over the stretch of russet colored trees, the city lights reflected in her eyes. “It’s what makes living in this cold worth it, the beauty of a real four season year. Miami is beautiful, but it never changes. It just gets drier in the winter.”

“I don’t know, that kind of warmth is always so nice after being snowbound for months. I think we just tend to want the things we haven’t had,” Nate leaned on the railing next to her.

“Couldn’t agree with you more.” Ella sighed again, feeling the pleasant heat of him next to her in the cool air. She knew that they were just a little too close to each other right now, but no one else was out here and it wasn’t like they were in some secluded corner, arms around each other doing _really_ inappropriate things… Which she had to stop thinking about right now. 

“So… what did you mean when you said your grandfather pushed you to run?” She blurted less than tactfully. Damn it, she knew that might be sensitive for him to talk about, but she’d gotten distracted by her own thoughts and her curiosity was so strong she’d forgotten to be a decent human being for a second there. Oh, well. No taking it back now.

Nate looked at her from the corner of his eye, an amused smile appearing on his face. “You are such a journalist, you know that?”

Ella laughed self-consciously and shrugged. “Sorry, just making conversation…”

“Where did you learn your conversational skills, Senator McCarthy?” He teased.

Now she really laughed, biting down on her lip guiltily.

“I said I’m sorry! No more prying questions from me, I swear!” She pantomimed zipping up her lips and throwing away the key. Nate’s eyes followed her hands to her mouth without thinking. He looked away immediately, but she caught that little flicker. She smirked and turned away again. He’d been looking at her mouth-- Hm. She suddenly envisioned all those inappropriate things she’d just shunted out of her head. His hands and lips places they shouldn’t be, his eyes looking into hers, crinkled in a sexy smile. 

She shivered a little at the thought.

“Now you’re cold?” Nate asked, mistaking the gesture for a reaction to the temperature. He chuckled, shrugging out of his suit jacket. 

“Oh, no, it’s okay!” Ella protested. “Really you don’t have to give me your jacket—.”

“Oh, stop it, I saw you shiver,” He reached around her to drape the jacket over her shoulders. His thumbs brushed her neck accidentally and all of his attention, just like hers, zeroed in on the surprising little sensation. 

Absurdly, the small touch made Ella’s heart beat faster. She cast her eyes down quickly as he removed his hands, careful not to touch her again. She dug around her purse for a moment, just for something to do, and found her phone. She checked the time— almost 1 in the morning.

“It’s getting late,” She said softly.

“Is someone taking you home or…” Nate trailed off, eyes finding hers. She looked back, a little stunned by how he let the question trail off…and by how much she liked it.

“I was just going to take a cab…” She told him. He shook his head immediately. 

“It’s too late for you to be out by yourself, I could have my driver drop you off,” He offered. She raised her eyebrows.

“I guess I can’t say I would mind some company,” She admitted. “Are you sure it’s no trouble?”

“More than sure. Let’s get out of here.”

The pair walked back to the French doors. Before they’d completed the trip, Ella had deftly maneuvered out of his jacket and handed it back to him. He took it without question, understanding the need to be discreet. Not that they were doing anything wrong, he told himself. He was just making sure she got home safely…

They said their goodbyes to Dan, Serena, Chuck and Blair, who all hid their surreptitious glances at each other. It seemed Serena had been right all along about these two, though they were standing several feet apart as they left. 

Serena crossed her arms as the elevator closed behind them and waited.

“...Fine! You win,” Dan finally cracked. “They have more chemistry than a meth lab.”

“Ha! I don’t want to say I told you so, but… Guess we’re going to go see Cats!” Serena celebrated.

“If something happens between them, things will get complicated, S. I don’t know if that’s something to celebrate,” Blair commented, brows furrowed, ignoring Dan’s groaning at the mention of Cats. Chuck shook his head.

“I think all of you are getting way ahead of yourselves, that’s what I think.” He planted a kiss on his wife’s lips. “Let’s go see if Henry’s escaped from his bed… and you two, get out of our house.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two things: One, why did I change Mark Thompson's name to Max Thompson? Good question that I don't have a valid answer for except-- writing about real people makes me uncomfortable? I guess? Two, that Junot Diaz cameo is definitely just personal wish fulfillment :) The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is everythingggg


	8. Nice Limo You've Got Here

The limo’s back seat seemed smaller than usual, as Nate jostled against Ella yet again. It certainly seemed his driver was taking these corners rather sharply, an observation proven correct immediately as Ella flew up against him.

“Oh, sorry!” Her hands contacting his knee as she caught herself from falling into his lap. 

“Don’t worry about it, I don’t know what’s up with my driver,” Nate assured her, but not moving to lower the partition and ask him to slow down. Another turn and it was Nate that suddenly had a hand on her knee. Well, that felt… nicer than it should. In any case, Nate quickly pulled away.

“Sorry,” he apologized, his voice low, his eyes flickering of their own accord to her mouth before moving straight ahead. He couldn’t believe how he’d touched her just now. Totally inappropriate, he berated himself, shifting so she could have some space.

“It’s okay,” she replied breathlessly, noting how he moved away with some disappointment. She, too, settled in her corner of the backseat. What did she expect? For him to keep touching her, putting his hands all over her, maybe throw in a little kiss? That would have been terrible, and inappropriate, and…. oh, God, so good. They had been mostly silent since they left the party, which was unlike them. She had to say something! “...This is a nice limo you’ve got here.”

She could have slapped herself.  _ This is a nice limo you’ve got here. Really?  _ Still, it seemed to dispel the awkward tension a little. Nate cracked a smile.

“I would have brought the private jet but I figured this would do…”

Ella laughed and Nate could have sighed with relief. If she was laughing at his dumb jokes she couldn’t be that mad about the knee-touching incident.

“You can pull out the private jet when there’s rush hour traffic, Archibald. We should make it to Brooklyn heights just fine in this,” She assured him.

“Dan must have freaked when you told him you lived in Brooklyn,” Nate commented.

“Oh, you have no idea,” Ella remembered that conversation vividly, “He recommended that little dive bar I was telling you about earlier, actually. I’d only lived there for a month when I started working for you, so it was good to have him as a spirit guide.”

“You did the dorm thing, then, while you were at NYU?” Nate asked. The earlier bit of awkward silence aside, making conversation with Ella was so easy, he just slipped into it automatically. 

“Yeah, it was…” Ella shuddered. “I hated those dorms but they were part of my scholarship so…”

The car came to a stop. Ella peered out the window. 

“Well, this is my place,” She said, quickly moving to open the door. Nate caught a glimpse of the neighborhood and immediately climbed out of the car as well, to her chagrin. “Nate, what are you doing?”

Nate’s driver, meanwhile, stood awkwardly not knowing what to do since both his passengers had opened their own doors.

“It’s alright, Phil,” Nate dismissed him quickly, shutting his door. “El, I’ll walk you upstairs.”

“Why?” She protested, “Nate, it’s freezing! Get your ass back in the car!”

“It’s only forty degrees,” He laughed, shrugging off his coat. Ella groaned. He ignored her reaction and put it around her shoulders. “Just until I get you inside.”

“Fine!” Ella swiveled quickly and headed for the front gate. Nate noted the absence of a doorman and felt even more justified. This neighborhood may have been in Brooklyn, but the differences between Williamsburg and Brooklyn Heights were staggering. And this particular part of Brooklyn Heights… Well, several street lights didn’t work and steam rose from the sewers. The buildings looked old and, dare he think it…  _ lower class _ . Ella was red from embarrassment as he followed her into the tiny lobby. She immediately took his coat off and handed it back. “Thank you for this, really, but I’m okay now, Nate.”

Nate ignored her and went to the elevator, pressing the button. “What floor do you live on?”

“First off, that’s broken,” Ella told him, heading towards the stairs. He followed her, but she stopped on the first step, blocking him from climbing after her. “Nate…”  
“You know, the more you protest, the longer I have to be here…” He pointed out.

She narrowed her eyes and screwed up her mouth, before turning dramatically to climb the stairs. 

“Ugh, fine! You have a real problem, you know that?”

“Oh, and what’s that?” Nate asked, a little amused by how much this was upsetting her and even more entertained by the sight of her trying to climb stairs in a pair of heels.

“White knight complex,” She called back to him, holding onto the banister for dear life. That fucking elevator just  _ had _ to be broken and now Nate Archibald was going to see where she lived… maybe she should just fall down the stairs and save herself that way.

Nate chuckled. “Not the first time someone’s told me that.”

“I bet,” she muttered just loud enough for him to hear. She was still rather tipsy and misjudged the distance from one step to the next. She caught herself, gripping the handrail, but Nate was there like a flash. She looked up at him, eyes wide. He raised an eyebrow at her. 

“I’m fine…” She insisted, straightening herself. He rolled his eyes.

“Says the drunk…” He observed dryly, staying next to her as she kept climbing stairs. “What floor did you say you lived on?”

“The fourth…” She informed him. “Which is why I asked you to stay downstairs-- Hey!”  
With one swift movement, Nate swept her off her feet. He wasn’t exactly sober himself, but at least he was wearing flat shoes. Or such was his justification for throwing his junior editor over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“You’re taking forever,” He told her, climbing the stairs rapidly.

“But-- Nate! I’m wearing a dress!” She squealed, reaching back to make sure her skirt hadn’t ridden up. Satisfied that nothing was exposed, she then busied herself protesting the entire way up the stairs. “Nathaniel Archibald, I am not a child! Put me down this instant! This is so inappropriate, I’m going to HR first thing tomorrow morning and--.”

“Oh, shut up,” Nate begged her, finally putting her down on the fourth floor landing. She looked so cute glaring at him while she straightened her dress and smoothed down her hair he couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “So you’re going to HR and… doing what, exactly?”

“Well, you got me up here in one piece, so maybe I won’t go to HR,” She replied, digging around her purse for her keys. She glared at him when he continued chortling. “Quit laughing! Looks like I’m not the only one who’s drunk…”

She began walking to her door, Nate close behind. 

“I’m twice your size, alcohol doesn’t affect me the way it affects you,” He informed her, still chuckling a little.  
She unlocked her door-- with some effort, this was a very old building-- and then looked back at Nate. So close to her, yet again, and still smelling deliciously of his cologne.

“Do you… want some water or something?” She asked hesitantly.

Nate looked at her, at that open door inviting him in, feeling for all the world that he should say yes. But...

“I should go, it’s pretty late… Besides I wouldn’t want to give you an actual reason to go to HR,” He joked. She chuckled half-heartedly. 

“Right, good thinking… Well, until Monday, then. See you later, boss,” She told him, entering the warmth of her little apartment.

“Later, Ella,” Nate said his farewell, before turning to go. Ella shut her door… and exhaled. What a night.


	9. The Fine Art of Gossip

As their deadline for the app loomed nearer, Ella and Nate hardly spoke to each other. They were too busy, they told themselves, and they couldn’t afford restarting the rumor mill. Ella thought it would have started churning out more venom after the Waldorf-Bass dinner party, but things had actually been pretty calm. Then again, Serena seemed to have decided they were new best friends and was showing up at the office more and more often to see her, justifying the invitation. If Ella was her new best friend, however, Serena didn’t neglect her _ oldest  _ friend.

“So… Blair’s party turned out to be pretty fun, didn’t it?” She asked the Tuesday after the soiree, having popped in unexpectedly while Dan was out bossing someone around. 

“It was nice, actually. I still can’t believe she sat me in front of Max Thompson, though,” Nate laughed, drafting an email while they talked.

“You know how much Blair loves drama… Ella did pretty well, didn’t she?” Serena asked casually.

“Max definitely got a heaping dose of that Vazquez charm, that’s for sure,” Nate agreed.

“Oh, Thompson is definitely coming after your girl at some point, but that’s not what I meant. She fit right in with all those stuffy upper east siders,” Serena continued.

“Well, I made sure she was never really by herself just in case, but she can definitely hold her own,” Nate kept his eyes on the computer screen, suddenly fascinated by the billing report he was requesting.

“And that dress! Just perfect, it got Blair hook, line and sinker.”

“It was a nice dress.”

“And she looked… just, wow. You ended up taking her home, didn’t you?” Serena idly scrolled on her phone. Nate looked up immediately.

“I dropped her off at her place, yeah…” These were a lot of pointed questions, even for Serena. “You seem pretty interested in Ella, you sure Dan doesn’t have competition?”

Serena laughed. “I’ve only ever toed the line, I have no intention of a full cross over. I was just curious, the two of you seem like you get along so well.”

“We do, she’s a nice girl. Even better employee,” Nate replied pointedly.

“Right… but what if she wasn’t your employee?”

Nate finally stopped what he was doing all together and steepled his hands with an exasperated sigh.

“Serena…”

“Nate, I like her for you! There, I said it.”

“Since when do you play matchmaker for me? And don’t you think you’ve picked the worst possible person?” Nate asked incredulously.

“I didn’t pick her, I was just observing what was already happening! You couldn’t keep your eyes off her the entire night—.”

“I was making conversation so she wouldn’t feel left out, S.”

Serena rolled her beautiful blue eyes. “Right. And she couldn’t have just talked to me or Dan. Or taken a cab home.”

“I—I was being polite! Why are you getting on my case for being nice?”

“Because you, kind and wonderful person that you are, still aren’t  _ that _ nice to just anybody!”

“She… We’re friends,” Nate insisted. 

“She makes you laugh,” Serena pointed out.

“Friends tend to do that,” Was his rebuttal.

“You know, I thought _ we _ were friends, but if you can’t even admit you have a tiny, unimportant crush on this woman then I don’t know…” Serena flipped her hair loftily.

“You and I both know it wouldn’t be tiny or unimportant if people found out I had feelings for her.”

“Ah, so you admit that you have feelings for her!” She exclaimed jubilantly. Dan was going to eat his hat when she told him…

“Hypothetically! Hypothetically, if I had feelings for her, it would be a huge issue. Even  _ she _ makes jokes about reporting me to HR, sometimes…”

“It wouldn’t even occur to her to joke like that unless she’s been thinking about you,” Serena interjected.

Nate shook his head. “You’re crazy.”

She leaned forward, suddenly serious. “Alright forget all my craziness. Just think about this as a human being, detached from context… If you had the chance, would you ask her on a date?”

“This is pointless…” He groaned.

“Nate!” She insisted shrilly.

“Serena! We’re not talking about this,” Nate stood from his desk, with a genuine frustration that surprised her. He took a breath and looked out his window before speaking again, “I really need for you to drop this, S. Nothing can happen between Ella and me. You saw how the writers were treating her because of a rumor, imagine what an actual relationship would cost her.”

Serena sighed, guilt creeping in. “I know… I’m sorry. It’s just been such a long time since I’d seen you laugh that much.”

Nate shrugged, finally turning around. He swept his hands as though to encompass the whole newsroom. “This is my whole life now. What I do here matters… I can’t just give that up and I can’t ask Ella to either, especially when she’s still just starting out.”

Serena nodded. “I understand, but who knows? Maybe someday…”

“I’ve never even kissed the woman,” Nate laughed shortly. “I think we all just need to calm down with the predictions and let things happen as they should. Or, you know,  _ not  _ happen.”

It was Serena’s turn to groan. “Fine…”

“Promise me you won’t meddle,” Nate pushed.

“I don’t meddle!” The blonde protested. Nate gave her a look.

“Fine, I promise… but I can’t promise I won’t invite her out with us sometimes. I really do like her.”

“That’s fine. I can’t stop you from hanging out with her,” Nate turned his attention back to the email.

“Maybe you should see somebody else, though, even if its not her,” Serena advised him.

“I’ve got… people,” Nate assured her. “I’m just not looking for a relationship right now.”

“Well, whatever. What are your plans for the app launch?”

“I was actually going to talk to Blair about organizing something, a big company party with plenty of Manhattan’s elite in attendance…”

“Good idea!” Nate swore he could see the wheels were already turning in Serena’s head and it made him smile to himself.

\---------------

“A party?” Ella asked, eyes brightening.

“Yes, a big fancy party with a bunch of big fancy people for the launch,” Dan confirmed. Ella decided to ignore his blatant lack of enthusiasm.

“How exciting! What’s the dress code?”  
“I don’t know… you should probably just wear a dress,” He suggested unhelpfully.

Ella gave Dan a look. “You’d think being married to Serena Van der Woodsen that some social grace would have rubbed off on you by now...”

Dan rolled his eyes, “I don’t know! You should ask Nate, he’s the one planning it.”

“I’m sure Nate is busy, I’ll just ask Serena,” Ella replied quickly, before returning to the the web post they were editing. “I think the font looks perfect, but maybe we should change the title color--.”

“El, are you not talking to Nate or something?” Dan asked.

“No, why?” Ella kept her eyes glued to the screen.

“Oh, I don’t know… Maybe it’s the fact you haven’t said a word to him in two weeks! You keep making the interns carry messages to him and you won’t go near his office...” Dan complained.

“What? That’s not true, I spoke to him yesterday!”

“The meeting? You were giving a presentation, that doesn’t constitute holding an actual conversation with him,” Dan corrected her. He lowered his voice suddenly and leaned forward, “Did something happen at Blair’s party?”

“No! Jesus, there’s no winning with you people, is there? I talk to him and everyone thinks we’re sleeping together, now I don’t talk to him and it just has to be because I’m pissed at him…” She shook her head frustratedly.

“So… you admit you aren’t talking to him on purpose?” Dan pressed. She narrowed her eyes at him.

“ _ No _ . I don’t even know what you’re talking about-- besides, he’s the one avoiding me, not the other way around,” Ella hmphed. 

Dan raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”

“Nothing!” Ella exclaimed, but Dan kept looking at her in that judgmental little way of his. She sighed. “Nothing, I’m serious. He just took me home and walked me up to my place…”

“And?”

“And nothing. Really,” Ella insisted. “He was acting pretty friendly with me that night, though... Wasn’t he?”

Dan nodded. “Yeah, we all noticed.”

Ella felt her face heat up. “All of you being… Serena, Chuck, and Blair? Or did Nate say something?”

Dan knew about Serena’s conversation with Nate, but also knew he couldn’t say anything about it…

“Not Nate,” he lied. “But it seemed pretty obvious that you guys were getting along perfectly well, and now it’s like you’re strangers.”

“I don’t know, I thought everything was good between us, especially since he was so nice keeping me company at the dinner party... I guess he must have thought I was flirting with him and now he’s keeping his distance.”

“Were you? Flirting with him, I mean?”

“Not really… I don’t know…” She trailed off before looking her editor in the eye. “If I tell you something do you promise not to go blabbing to anyone about it? Even Serena?”

“Of course,” Dan leaned forward. Was he telling the truth? Well, it depended on how juicy this new bit of gossip was going to be...

“I did actually think he seemed a little flirtatious that night,” She whispered. “I mean, not really, but... You know, he actually  _ carried _ me up to my apartment?” 

“What?” Now Dan was incredulous.

“I was drunk and my elevator was broken and I almost ate it on the stairs so he threw me over his shoulder and just… carried me up,” Ella laughed. “I thought that was kind of flirtatious, honestly, but nothing happened afterwards.”

“Ella… do you like him?” Dan asked the question hesitantly. Unspoken sexual tension between his boss and his assistant he could handle. I mean, this was Nate they were talking about, he could have unspoken sexual tension with a potted plant if he looked at it long enough but… actual feelings? God damn it, what if Serena’s meddling had cracked open a Pandora’s box with these two? He _ told _ her they shouldn’t have gotten involved...

“Obviously, he’s a great boss and I always felt that we could be good friends…”

Dan gave her another look. Ella sighed.

“I don’t know how I feel… I think he’s so sweet and funny and…” She swallowed before she forced the word out, “...handsome, but we could never  _ be _ together. Never.”

“Why not?” When she gave him a look, he quickly amended. “Obvious reasons notwithstanding, I mean.”

“He— He doesn’t like me like that Dan. He’s just charming and it’s hard not to let that blind you,” She sighed. “And the obvious reasons are kind of insurmountable, aren’t they? I’d never be taken seriously again. He’d be seen as some kind of skeevy perv for the rest of his life. It’s a bad situation.”

Dan couldn’t argue with her. “If it’s any consolation, I think he really does think of you as a friend and not just some… play thing.”

“I’m not trying to push him away, Dan. But I think some space between us wouldn’t be the worst thing right now.”

“I guess… but the interns aren’t carrying any more messages for you! You talk to him yourself from now on.”

“Fine,” Ella shrugged. “I’ll just text Serena about the dress code then so I don’t bother him…”

Dan groaned. “Texting Serena… how have you invaded every part of my life?”

A Cheshire grin spread across Ella’s face.

“Don’t even pretend like you don’t love me. As a matter of fact,” She gave him a look he’d come to know and fear.

“No, please, don’t say it,” Dan begged, moving to cover his ears.

“You  _ know _ you love me,” Ella said in her best Gossip Girl voice, “XO XO…”

“Agh kill me!” And with that Dan decided to take an impromptu coffee break.


	10. Getting Dressed is Half the Fun

Blair had been given two weeks to host the launch party of the century. Had she been able to manage it? As her meticulous eye swept across the transformed roof of the Spectator’s high-rise, she knew that she really, truly had. 

It was mid-December, Christmas was around the corner and a real chill had settled across New York. Playing on the festive atmosphere, it made sense that everything was a sparkling silver. The little twist was that it wasn’t a classic silver winter party— the silver was iridescent, flashing in a rainbow spectrum of colors like the back of a compact disc. A taste of the past, with a huge dose of the future. 

“Blair, it’s…” Nate couldn’t find the word for it.

“Perfect, I know,” She smiled, self-satisfied. 

“Won’t it get cold?” Nate asked, noting the chilly wind that swept across the outdoor space.

“They’re going to turn on the standing heaters now, don’t worry. You and your guests will be nice and toasty,” Even as she spoke, some workers passed by carrying huge space heaters. Blair turned to her old friend and gave him a reassuring smile. “Go get dressed, you’re hosting the biggest party of the season in an hour.”

Nate grinned at her gratefully. Her and Chuck had been there for him from the beginning, helping him face the never ending cycle of obstacles that threatened to trip up his newspaper’s progress. Blair had even picked out a suit for him- black Armani, but the fabric had the most gorgeous sheen. She’d known from the moment she saw it that Nate had to wear it for his launch party. He couldn’t have been more grateful for the help.

But while Nate could get dressed in his office, Ella was at the Humphrey household, climbing her way out of a pile of Serena’s dresses.

“Serena!” She exclaimed as the woman tossed yet another dress in her direction. “You’ve already pulled like fifty of them for me to try on—.”

“I know, but none of them are perfect!” Serena herself already looked like an angel, dressed in a white, sequined shift dress, makeup and hair perfectly chosen to complement the celestial aesthetic she was going for. “Blair said she was going for ‘space age winter wonderland’ and all of this is too…  _ meh _ .”

“Well, has she sent you a picture of the space yet?” Ella asked, hoping for some help narrowing her options. At this point, she was considering just wearing black and being done with it. “You know, that black cocktail dress you showed me earlier is gorgeous…”

“Absolutely not, all you do is wear black,” Serena admonished her, emerging from her closet, phone in hand.

“But it’s Gucci…” Ella whimpered quietly, finding the classic black mini-dress and holding it close to her. She didn’t think she’d ever held something this expensive.

“Look, Blair sent the photos…” Serena showed her the pictures. Her screen dazzled in silver and flashes of rainbow light against white. It was breathtaking.

“Your dress is perfect,” Ella commented. Serena screwed up her mouth, thinking.

“I think I have something… It’s not Gucci but it’s a lot more fun than black…” Serena disappeared back into her closet. It wasn’t the most complicated of dresses, but who cared? She had a feeling her new friend would dig her heels in if she tried to put her in anything else in her closet, which all leaned towards ornate and bohemian. No, Ella like things simple. She gasped satisfyingly when Serena brought it out, letting go of the black Gucci dress without thought.

“It’s beautiful, S,” She breathed. “You can’t let me wear that, it’s too special—.”

“This thing? It’s really not a big deal, I think I got this from Urban,” Serena laughed, tossing the dress at her. She actually knew exactly where she’d gotten it-- Rochas, the french fashion house-- but she knew Ella would make a bigger deal of borrowing it than it was, so S wasn’t going to share this information. “Put it on and— I’m assuming you own a pair of actual stilettos? Not that block-heel cop-out crap you pulled for the soiree?”

Ella pursed her lips. She supposed it was nice they’d gotten so comfortable with each other...

“Yeah, actually.”

“Perfect, you’re going to look beautiful,” Serena smiled widely.


	11. Chuck, Blair, and an Inquisition

Everyone was at the Spectator’s launch party. Blair and the relentless ad campaign had assured that tonight’s festivities were a huge success. There was even a white carpet for photo ops before actually entering the party. Whether the app would be as well received all depended on the quality of the last month’s work. Nate had no doubts, however. 

Blair made sure the young CEO wasn’t the first to enter the party space

“No one fashionable is ever early to their own party,” She’d hissed when he suggested it, so he was out with the rest of his guests to walk the white carpet. 

“You should take a group photo with your editors when they get here— where are the Humphreys? And where is Ella?” Blair looked around for the two missing members of what she affectionately called the “app-squad.”

Nate glanced at his watch. They were rather late, which was usual for Serena but Ella was always punctual…

“B, this is ridiculous! You’re a goddess,” Serena came, dragging her husband by the arm. She gave her best friend a kiss on the cheek.

“She’s right, Blair, this place looks fantastic,” Dan agreed, looking taken aback.

“Well, you know how much your opinion has always mattered to me, Humphrey…” Blair replied dryly, unable to keep a smile from spreading across her face. Chuck wound an arm around her waist proudly.

“You’ve really outdone yourself yet again… Where’s Ella, S?” He asked the tall blonde. 

“She ran ahead of us to use the bathroom. I gave her champagne before heading over and she has the tiniest bladder…”

“She’s also right here,” Ella laughed, suddenly appearing from behind Serena. “And it was a lot of champagne! Hey everyone!”

Blair held her at an arm’s length after a quick embrace, studying the lithe frame and symmetrical face with an unexpected seriousness. Ella ignored the sudden urge to curtsy in front of Queen B.

“You look stunning— you saw the pictures I sent S, didn’t you?” Blair asked, taking in Ella’s very appropriate choice of dress.

“I did— I figured I could just blend into the decor,” Ella replied sheepishly.

“I don’t think that’s quite what you’re going to do… Would you ever consider modeling? You’re not really the right height, but…” Blair’s gears were turning, thinking of how perfect Ella would look in the dresses she’d designed for her upcoming spring campaign. None of those were designed in the minimalistic style of her fall collection—it had been a nice experiment, but simplicity just wasn’t the Waldorf brand. Still, she had a feeling Ella would look good in just about anything...

“Oh, no,” Ella sputtered. “That’s very flattering, but I’m not really photogenic…”

Moving quickly away from Blair’s protests, she greeted Chuck and then finally approached Nate. He looked gorgeous, as always.

“I love your tux!” She told him, chirpy and friendly, as though she hadn’t just spent the last week avoiding him. For his part, he couldn’t imagine bringing it up and making it awkward all over again. Better to pretend nothing had happened— especially when Ella looked like this. 

“Thank you...You look like an angel,” He murmured as she gave him a hug. Ella blushed immediately. The dress was a satiny, shimmering silver fabric, nipping at the waist and descending to just mid-calf in narrow, twirly pleats. She was wearing honest-to-goodness heels, too. She was flushed pink and iridescent shimmer bounced light off the high points of her face. She literally looked like an angel, but he regretted his comment immediately.

“God, so many compliments! I don’t respond well to all this positive attention, somebody insult me quick!” She cried playfully, attempting to dismiss what Nate said as a joke.

Dan immediately saved the day. “Silver? For a holiday party? Groundbreaking, Ella.”

Ella looked down at her dress and then back at Dan.

“Well, your wife picked the dress, so...” She replied with a laugh. Serena smacked Dan in the arm lightly.

“Alright, enough chit chat, we’ve been waiting to take a group photo!” Lauren Abernathy suddenly appeared, waving them towards the white carpet.

Ella’s eyes grew round taking in the sea of flashing cameras, all pointed like snipers in a firing range at the socialites and journalists who were entering the party. Nate knew that look.

“Come on, don’t be nervous,” He urged her forward. She looked up at him, a guilty expression on her face.

“Nate…About these past couple of weeks...” She began, obviously about to apologize for the distance. She wasn’t entirely sure how to apologize, though, not without admitting that she’d been avoiding him, so she just trailed off. 

“What about these past couple of weeks?” He replied quickly, before becoming distracted by one of their coworkers. Ella swallowed. Right, the fact that they hadn’t spoken in two weeks wasn’t a big deal to him. Of course not. She was just overthinking things, as per usual. She took a deep breath and followed him out onto the white carpet. Dan and the rest of the editors were already there, as well as their featured writers. 

“Okay, one with just the editors and then we’ll get a big one with the writers,” Nate instructed as Blair positioned him in the center of the photograph, then arranged all the editors by height around him. This left the five foot four Ella next to and a little in front of him when it was time to take the picture. She was sharply aware of him as they were briefly forced to press together.

The cameras immediately began to flash, blinding her, as she smiled widely. She was certain her eyes were closed in at least half the pictures, but the group photos went quickly and then they could finally enter the rooftop space to enjoy the fruits of their month-long labor. 

The rooftop glittered like multicolored snow, music already blaring and food available at dozens of cocktail tables. There were chairs along the perimeter. Ella gushed her compliments to Blair and Chuck, who chatted away with her and Nate as more people arrived. All the guests passed by them, coming to pay their respects to Mr. Archibald. Journalists, socialites, bankers, politicians… They were all here. Even the new mayor was here, who shook Ella’s hand gratefully as though she were singularly responsible for getting the last mayor ousted.

Ella smiled uncomfortably and said her awkward hellos, finding herself stuck chatting with Blair as she conducted what she assumed was more of an interview than anything else. What she really wanted to do was duck somewhere quieter, hang out with her coworkers, and get drunk. She wondered idly where Dan and Serena had disappeared to. Probably off eating, drinking, and having a grand old time, the lucky bastards.

“How long did you study at NYU?” Blair pressed, as though checking items off a list in her head.

“I have my Bachelors in English as well as a minor in Journalism, so that was a little more than 4 years,” Ella replied dutifully. Nate flashed her an apologetic look which she returned with the slightest of understanding smiles.

“I don’t suppose you chased the Red Dragon while you were there,” Chuck also inquired.

“The… Red Dragon?” Ella asked, frowning. “Is that like…a heroin joke or something? Because that’s a little heavy even for me, I’ll be honest...”

Chuck laughed, “No, not that it would be out of the realm of possibility for something like that to be present at one of their meetings. It’s fucked up shit. ”

“I… wait, is that the silly secret society I’d always heard of?” Ella chuckled. “I don’t think it actually exists, Chuck.”

“Sure it doesn’t,” he winked. Ella frowned, processing this information. Thankfully, one of the head political writers, Adam, was passing by. They’d spoken various times and he was one of the few who hadn’t been a dick about her revisions. It was probably because he had a crush on her, but whatever. If there were ever to be a chance for escape, this was it.

“Adam!” She exclaimed, catching his attention. The young man turned and smiled, approaching.

“Hey, Ella. Boss,” He turned and greeted Nate.

“Adam,” He returned. Blair extended a regal hand, which he took.

“You two must be--,” He began.

“Yes, and you are?” Chuck asked as the young man shook his hand.

“Uh, Adam Holfax, sir,” Adam introduced himself. He then turned to where Ella stood, dress shimmering in the low light, with a smile. “Would you mind if I steal her for a little while? There’s an open bar, after all.”

Ella quickly agreed. Blair and Chuck smiled their assent, but immediately glanced at Nate over the edge of their drinks, whose face was like stone. He knew the Waldorf-Basses were being more than a little overbearing, but he couldn’t help but feel like Ella was trying to escape from him, too. He watched her link arms with Adam as they walked to the bar, talking animatedly.

“He seems like a dick,” Chuck commented.

“Yes, interrupting our conversation like that…” Blair tittered.

Nate snapped out of his sudden bad mood and plastered a nonchalant expression on his face. “Adam is a great kid, I’m sure they’re just talking about work… Do you guys want to tell me what the Spanish Inquisition was all about just now?”

Chuck and Blair glanced at each other. 

“I was wondering if I could maybe steal Ella for a few weeks this coming Spring…” Blair began.

“Absolutely not,” Nate replied. “She already has a job-- writing for me!”

“Blair just thought she would be perfect for her new campaign…” Chuck explained. “And besides, it’s always good to know who one is dealing with, so you’ll forgive us our questions.”

“Right,” Nate allowed with a sigh, then added suddenly, “Are you two thirsty? Do you think most of the guests have arrived?”

“I think they can come find you if they really want to say hello,” Blair assured him. 

The pair watched as Nate made his way to the bar, only feet away from where Ella stood talking to Adam. A small crowd had formed of writers and editors joining their conversation-- all men. Ella seemed not entirely unconscious of the effect she was having, throwing her head back coquettishly in laughter at something one of them had said. 

“This is like watching Animal Planet,” Chuck commented to Blair. “You think he’ll go break up that little posse?”

“He better not, he ought to have some dignity-- oh, who is that?” Blair peered at who Nate was suddenly speaking to-- one of the female socialites in attendance.

“Unless I’m mistaken, that’s Aurora Blake, daughter of George Blake,” Chuck supplied.

“Damn it, people would be surprised by how often you end up needing your opera glasses,” Blair muttered, squinting at the far-off figures by the dimly lit bar. “The Blakes are oil money, aren’t they?”

“Yes, and Aurora came into some of that money herself recently. Old man Blake finally croaked.”

“George Senior, right.” Blair remembered having seen the obituary not too long ago in the Spectator’s own pages. “What is the southern obsession with naming people George?”

“God knows,” Chuck shook his head. “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling thirsty…”

“You read my mind,” Blair grinned, before the two of them went in search of seats with a better view of all the action. 

Dan and Serena had claimed a cocktail table by the bar and were hoarding aperitifs from the train of waiters that passed by carrying an endless stream of finger food. 

“Hey guys!” Serena greeted them past a mouthful of stuffed bell pepper.

“Since when do you hand out pigs in a blanket at your parties, Blair?” Dan asked teasingly, taking a bite out of the aforementioned food.

“That is  _ not _ a pig in a blanket! That sausage is older than you are, you philistine, and each one was hand breaded by the finest chefs in New York City.” Blair huffed playfully. “But, anyway…”

She gestured delicately towards the drama unfolding by the bar.

“Who is Nate talking to?” Serena exclaimed as Nate conversed with Aurora Blake, who was leaning sinuously against the bar. He himself was putting a little lean into the conversation, obviously very interested in what she had to say.

“Some rich, young heiress. He’s probably trying to bring a new investor into the fold...” Chuck informed them. At just that moment, Nate signaled the bartender for another drink to offer his new companion. “...Among other things. Drinks, anyone?”


	12. P'arriba, P'abajo, P'al centro y P'adentro (Or: Shots! Shots! Shots!)

“That is not what I said!” Ella exclaimed, laughing uncontrollably.

“She did, she definitely told me my piece on the Presidential debate was a waste of space,” Adam informed their other coworkers, now a part of their conversation.

Ella rolled her eyes. “All I said was that it was a little long… by a few thousand characters.”

“It’s not her fault you’re incompetent, Holfax,” one of the aforementioned coworkers, Eddy, guffawed. “What are you drinking, El?”

Ella looked down at her glass and frowned. “I’m not sure, actually. What did you get me, Adam? Tastes like soda.”

“That’s a Shirley Temple,” He informed her, laughing. 

“You got me a girly drink, you big sexist? Eddy, if you’re ordering drinks then I say we all do some tequila shots-- you too, Vic!” She exclaimed, singling out the quiet young man standing at the fringe of their group who was shaking his head. He worked in the Lifestyle section and had been brought in around the same time she had, so they’d been close collaborators during this whole app endeavor. 

“Fine, but let it be known that Ms. Vazquez is a slave driver even after hours,” Vic quipped. Ella rolled her eyes good-naturedly, adjusting herself on the bar stool she was perched on. 

As Eddy leaned forward to order drinks, she suddenly had a clean line of sight directly across the bar. She saw Nate’s turned back. Damn it, he was handsome even from behind. He then turned-- and she saw a lovely young woman next to him smiling as he signaled the bartender. _Who the fuck is that?_

She turned her attention back to Eddy immediately as he handed her a shot glass.

“Alright, you know how they do shots in Miami?” She asked her circle of coworkers. “Follow my lead-- Pa’rriba!”

She lifted her shot glass and they followed suit merrily.

“Pa’bajo!” 

Down the shot glasses went.

“Pa’l centro!” 

All the shot glasses clinked together as they met in the middle.

“Y pa’dentro!” In one swift motion, she downed the shot of ice cold tequila. Her coworkers erupted in cheers. As the aimless banter continued, she engaged in it enthusiastically, pointedly ignoring whatever Nate was doing with that woman over there. It was none of her business. This was a free country and if he wanted to flirt with somebody else, then by all means.

Her gaze studiously diverted, she didn’t notice when Nate and the woman wandered to the dance floor. It was clear to Chuck and Dan that he was putting the famous Archibald moves on her.

“Well, now you don’t have to worry about Nate being lonely,” Dan commented to Serena, who scoffed.

“Aurora Blake is one of the most boring people I’ve ever met, he’s only dancing with her to make Ella jealous.”

“She certainly doesn’t seem to notice,” He replied, looking over his shoulder at where Ella was still holding court. 

“Good for her!” Blair interjected. “In fact, she should keep ignoring him until he breaks and comes crawling, what do you say, my love?”

She had already downed three gin martinis and the fuzziness of being tipsy had put her in a great mood. Chuck smiled in amusement, his tolerance slightly higher.

“What happened to Nathaniel having some dignity?”

“It just reminds me so much of high school, the tension, the unspoken feelings, the drama….” Blair sighed. “Serena knows what I’m talking about.”

“Ah, those were the days…” She agreed.

“What are you talking about? Those years were the worst,” Dan disagreed, frowning. Serena gave him a look. “Except for the parts where I was with you, babe, obviously.”

Serena accepted a conciliatory kiss from him.

“I’m not saying they weren’t rough times, but watching Nate fumble around her makes me nostalgic…” She explained. “He made me promise not to meddle any more, though.”

“Ella asked me the same thing,” Dan chuckled. “I guess there’s nothing we can do. Nor should we, those two are doomed.”

Blair’s eyes narrowed. If it was her choice between Aurora Blake and Ella for Nate’s future girlfriend, she definitely preferred the latter to the former. And, who knew? A few more drinks and she might just try her hand at meddling. Nate hadn’t asked _her_ to butt out, after all. 

As gratifying as it was to know her coworkers-- or, at least, her male coworkers-- hadn’t held a grudge over her efforts this past month, Ella was getting tired of all the attention. Big groups of people for extended amounts of time just weren’t her thing. 

This was the point where Dan usually rescued her, but he was busy with Serena and she’d already intruded so much on their time together today. Besides, why would she want to fifth wheel with them and the Basses?

Nate, of course, was not available to do any rescuing, having disappeared with the blonde woman earlier. She surreptitiously searched for him in the crowd. When she found him, it was on the dance floor with the same woman. Blair had hired a live orchestral band to play swing music, which wasn’t usually the kind of thing she danced to, but…

“Hey, Adam, wanna dance?” She asked the man next to her, suddenly.

“Sure,” He replied quickly. His co-workers watched as he lead her onto the dance floor before resuming their conversation.

“So, do you know how to dance to this or…” Ella began, speaking into Adam’s ear to be heard over the loud music.

“Absolutely no idea, lets just go with it,” He laughed. To the tune of a song by Dean Martin, they settled on an energetic sway. Ella glanced over at Nate, who was doing something similar with the woman he’d shared drinks with. She wondered if he’d notice her out here at all.

Adam pulled her into a spin, refocusing her attention on him. He looked handsome tonight, she’d never seen him so cleaned up. He’d trimmed his full beard and combed his overgrown hair, working that hipster-chic aesthetic he always rocked with a slick button up, bow tie and suspenders.

“You look great tonight,” He murmured in her ear. Despite herself, Ella grew warm. She had to admit she’d always harbored an attraction for Adam, but it had been secondary to the crush she had on Nate… up until now. 

“Thanks, you don’t look half-bad yourself,” She replied, feeling his hand pull her closer at the small of her back. 

“What are you doing after the party?” He asked. 

“Not sure, I think there’s an after party at Nate’s place. Employees only… are you going?” Ella asked as they continued moving to the music.

“I’m there if you are,” He told her, smiling. Ella bit her lip in reply. She didn’t want to imply too much, just yet. She knew Adam from work, but had no idea what he was really like in his down time. Better to take it easy for now…

She saw a hand reach out to tap on Adam’s shoulder. She was filled with a moment of hope-- which immediately gave way to disappointment. It wasn’t Nate. It was Eddy.

“Mind if I cut in?” He asked sauvely, a smirk on his face. Eddy towered expectantly over her and Adam-- who glowered at him briefly before conceding.

“He’s definitely trying to sleep with you,” Eddy commented as he took Ella’s hand and wrapped the other arm around her.

Ella knew he was right, but shook her head anyway. It wasn’t like Eddy seemed to be after anything different. “Really? I thought he was just being nice...”

Eddy looked at her, eyes narrowing in amusement before pushing her out for a little twirl. 

“You know, I can’t tell if you’re actually that naive or if this is yet another example of your flawless sarcasm.”

“Well, be sure to let me know when you’ve figured it out, Ed,” Ella said with a playful dryness. Eddy wasn’t looking half-bad either right now in his sleek black suit and slicked back hair. Dashing was the word that described him best. As they danced, Eddy kept murmuring witty little quips in her ear to which she replied as vaguely as possible for all the same reasons she hadn’t made Adam any promises. She was so distracted with the mental dance taking place, in fact, that she didn’t realize when the physical one had her spinning off balance... right into Nate’s back.

“Excuse me--.” Nate turned around, expecting to see a drunken socialite. He stopped short when he saw that it was Ella, sheepishly retreating.He was reminded of all the other times they'd bumped into each other-- _We really need to stop meeting like this... is bumping into me going to be a tradition for you?_

“Sorry!” She apologized quickly.

“Aw, I’m sorry, boss, but it seems like someone’s got two left feet,” Eddy laughed, pulling her into his arms again. Nate watched as the pair sailed back into the crowd. Resisting the base urge to grab Eddy Cofield by the lapels and toss him off the roof, he instead kept dancing with Aurora. A statuesque blonde of classic good looks, she carried herself well on the dance floor. The conversation, however, had died about fifteen minutes ago.

Still, he lead her in sweeping circles through the crowd, making her laugh in delight with every turn. He surreptitiously peered over the top of her head to catch a glimpse of the shimmering silver flash that was Ella. 

When he finally did, it was just in time to see that Eddy had gotten creative, obviously having some ballroom dancing experience, moving her through weaves and spins and dips that left her breathlessly laughing as she tried her best to keep up. She felt that she was succeeding, for the most part, though this was mostly due to his skillful maneuvering rather than any of her own talent.

Nate felt the blonde in his arms stiffen. She’d caught him looking elsewhere-- though at who she had no idea. It was too crowded to tell.

“Is everything alright?” She asked, eyes narrowed.

“Oh, yeah, I just-- are you thirsty?” He asked her, stopping his back and forth sway.

“Not really…” She replied. “I should probably go say hello to a few more people, though…if I don’t bump into you again, send me the specs we were talking about earlier on Monday?”

“Of course,” He replied, a smile spreading across his face as the woman called back a flirtatious farewell. When she had disappeared he made his way off the dance floor and spotted where the non-judging breakfast club had set their post. Dan and Serena were on the dance floor but Blair and Chuck were still chatting and sipping drinks.

He approached. 

“I see you’ve returned from the depths of hell,” Chuck observed. “Was that Aurora Blake, Nathaniel?”

“Sure was,” Nate reached for Chuck’s drink and downed it. The other man frowned and Blair raised an eyebrow.

“She seems… nice,” Blair offered.

“She is very nice. And rich, too,” Nate replied. “She told me she was interested in investing in the Spectator.”

“Let me guess, after a few private meetings with you,” Chuck teased.

Nate smiled but didn’t reply, reaching for some food. He was notably pensive as the conversation wore on. Ella, still out on the dance floor, couldn’t find Nate anymore amongst the crowd. Her feet were starting to hurt, so she gave Eddy one more dance before she begged for mercy and excused herself to grab some water.

Blair noticed as she walked past. Nate was talking to the recently returned Dan about something unimportant so she blithely interrupted.

“Hey, Natie, you should probably get yourself something to drink, after all that dancing,” She motioned towards the bar innocuously. He followed the motion with his eyes.

“You’re right,” He agreed immediately, spotting Ella leaning over the bar in that swishy, shimmery thing she called a dress. “I’ll be right back--.”

“Oh, wait! Can you get me a Cosmo?” Serena called after him, which seemed to give everyone else permission to also ask him to pretty please grab them a drink.

Armed with his list of requests, he walked over to the bar. Ella didn’t notice him sidle up to her at first, so he took advantage of the moment, putting a hand on her shoulder and--

“Hey!” He surprised her.

“Oh!” She gasped before coming undone with laughter and pushing his hand away. He was all about unexpected physical contact today, wasn’t he? “You scared me!”

Nate smiled like he did that sort of thing all the time, leaning on the bar. “So, what are you drinking?”

“Just some H2O on the rocks,” She informed him, studying him. Where was that blonde he’d been with? “You?”

“Our friends think I’m a bus boy,” He chuckled, signalling the bartender. “One gin martini with olives, one scotch-- neat-- one cosmo, a beer, and an old fashioned, thank you.”

Ella raised her eyebrow in amusement as the flustered bartender busied himself with the order. “Let me guess… the martini is for Blair, scotch is for Chuck, the cosmo is for Serena, Dan went with beer, of course, and you are an old fashioned kind of guy… am I right?”

“The cosmo is for me, actually,” Nate teased. Ella threw up her hands in surrender.

“To each their own,” She replied. “So… how are you enjoying your party, Mr. CEO?”

“It’s been pretty good so far… You’ve obviously been having fun,” he commented casually.

Ella bit her lip and averted her eyes. “I have, it’s been good to see that the writers don’t all hate me.”

“Far from it, I think. You’ve got those guys under some kind of spell,” Nate forced a casual chuckle.

“Yeah, they’re pretty insistent, aren’t they?” Ella couldn’t help but giggle. She leaned towards Nate, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “But we’ll see how their new attitude holds up when I give them their edits on Monday.”

Nate laughed more naturally this time. “I really am sorry about the way they’ve been treating you, El. I would have done something about it sooner if I’d known but…”

“Wait, you know?” Ella’s eyes grew round. “About the rumors?”

Nate realized what he’d just let slip… and decided it didn’t matter anyway. Things were already awkward between them, the least they could do was be honest with each other.

“Yeah, Dan told me a couple of weeks ago.”

“Oh…Well, that’s embarrassing...” Ella trailed off, suddenly fascinated by the wood grain of the bar. She then looked up at him. “You have to know I didn’t have anything to do with the rumors.”

“Of course you didn’t,” Nate frowned. “I know you’d never do something like that.”

“Never,” Ella shook her head emphatically. Then, she sighed. “At least now no one will believe them, right?”

“Why do you say that?” Nate looked at her curiously.

“Well, because of your date,” She forced a light laugh. “Can’t be having a sordid affair with your employee with a date as beautiful as _that,_ right?”

Ella’s eyes were clear and unwavering as they looked back into his. Nate racked his brain. His date? Who was she talking about—?

“Who? Oh, Aurora?” He asked, suddenly remembering the statuesque blonde he’d held in his arms only five minutes before. Damn it, how could he forget something like that? There was something wrong with him... “She’s not my date, she’s… a potential investor.”

“Oh,” Ella cast her eyes down. “Well, beautiful investors are good, too.”

As she sipped water so she wouldn’t have to make eye contact, Nate cast around for something to say that would lighten the mood again.

“Are you, uh, coming to the after party?” 

Ella looked back up at him again, a little crooked smile blooming on her lips.

“I don’t know, are you hosting?”

“Why, yes, actually, I am,” he replied.

“Then, obviously, Archibald,” She laughed. The bartender had been depositing drinks in front of them as he finished mixing them and had just now offered Nate his old fashioned. Ella noticed how Nate paused after thanking the man, staring at the many drinks he’d just ordered. “You want some help taking these to the table?”

“Yes, please,” he conceded. Ella grabbed the Cosmo and the beer and followed Nate back to the cocktail table… which was empty. 

“Is this the right table?” She asked, glancing around.

“Yeah… where the hell did they go?” Nate also looked around and from his higher vantage point spotted the couples on the dance floor again. “Ridiculous. They make me get drinks and then get up to go dancing.”

Ella set down the drinks she was holding with a chuckle. “Seems right up their alley. Not always the most considerate bunch, are they?”

“Can’t disagree with you there,” He agreed, sipping his old fashioned with a sigh.

“...Is that good?” She asked, eyeing his drink.

“This? Haven’t you ever had an old fashioned before?”

“I don’t think so…”

“Then you have to try it, here,” He offered her his glass. When she hesitated, he teased, “I don’t have cooties, you know.”

Ella rolled her eyes. “Cooties? How old are you?”

“You’re the one hesitating,” He pointed out.

She took the tumbler with a roll of her eyes and sipped. She paused, savoring it.

“So?” He asked expectantly.

“Not bad. Not my favorite, but not bad…” She shrugged.

“Ugh, you have no taste,” He admonished her, snatching his drink back.

“So I’ve been told,” Ella laughed. They kept talking, sipping on their drinks... and then on the drinks they’d brought for the non-judging social club as they took longer to return. (“They can get their own goddamn drinks this time,” He grumbled as he downed the Cosmo.) They were in the middle of a debate over which home basketball team had better uniforms, Miami or New York— don’t even ask how they got there— when she did a strange little wiggle, like a bunny shaking its tail. ”God damn it. Do you know where the bathrooms are?”

“Isn’t there a bathroom around by the bar?” He asked. Ella shrugged.

“I haven’t seen it…”

“There must be one somewhere around here. Now that you mention it, I can feel nature calling as we speak.” Nate frowned before downing the rest of his last drink. “Come on, let’s go find a bathroom.”


	13. Lost On the Way to the Bathroom

So this was how she ended up alone with Nate Archibald again— by telling him she had to use the bathroom. Not that that was a lie. She really, really did. The facilities upstairs had been jam packed with a line that extended twenty-some feet, so it only took one look at Ella’s desperate expression and Nate had immediately suggested trying the restroom on the Spectator’s floor.

Now, the operator that usually manned the controls being on his night off, they were in an elevator alone together, the first time they’d been so since the dinner party. It would have made Ella nervous if she could have stopped bouncing up and down.

“God damn it,” She muttered. “I have the world’s tiniest bladder.”

Nate laughed. “Poor thing.”

“It’s a curse, Nate!” She insisted. “Is it just me or is this elevator slower than usual?”

“That’s just you… and your bladder.”

“Oh, hush,” Ella rolled her eyes. “Tell me something interesting to distract me.”

“Uh...the Patriots beat the Vikings 25 to 8 yesterday,” he supplied. It had been a hell of a game too, but he doubted she actually cared. From what he knew, she was more of a basketball fan.

“Fascinating,” She replied dryly.

“Don’t be such a snob,” Nate rolled his eyes. “My fantasy league has never been in better shape…”

“Is it? Gosh, and I was so worried about your financial well-being…” Ella looked up at him through her eyelashes, all innocence.

Nate narrowed his eyes at her, but was not able to control the grin on his face.

“Haven’t you ever been told that if you don’t have anything nice to say, you should say nothing at all?” He asked.

“But then I’d basically be mute,” She said thoughtfully. “And I can’t even imagine how boring your life would be.”

“Oh, please,” Nate scoffed. The elevator doors dinged open.

“Thank God!” Ella rushed out without hesitation, running to the nearby bathrooms. Nate made his way to the men’s room at a more leisurely pace, so she was waiting for him when he exited, leaning on one of the desks. Her honest-to-goodness stilettos lay at her feet, the sore pink soles of which she was rubbing together.

“All better?” He asked, after a brief pause.

“All better,” She smiled in response, pushing off her perch. She turned a moment to take in the deserted newsroom, while she stepped back into her shoes. “It’s so quiet, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s strange,” Nate agreed, looking over at her turned figure. He was suddenly thankful that dresses and heels were not what she usually wore. People already couldn’t shut up about how attractive she was, but this… He usually tried to stop himself from looking, feeling like a creeper whenever he couldn’t help himself. But not looking didn’t always help-- she had that mouth of hers, running a mile a minute, making everything funnier. And now here she was, wearing that dress Serena had lent her. It looked so good on her he couldn’t imagine it on anyone else. The way it hugged her waist, floating around her with every move she made... All of it was just so  _ fucking distracting _ . A sigh escaped him. 

Ella turned to him, brows furrowed a little with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just…” He tried not to but couldn’t help looking her in the eye. “I kind of wish I wasn’t throwing this after party. I feel exhausted.”

Not the whole truth, but at least part of it. That had to count for something, right?

“I can understand that…” It was her turn to sigh, feeling that same weariness in her very bones.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think I can skip out on my own party,” Nate chuckled. “But you guys deserve to celebrate what we’ve accomplished.”

Ella gave him an appreciative smile that made him feel warm all over. 

“We couldn’t have done any of it without you,” She assured him, noting the tiredness in his voice and, not knowing why exactly, but feeling that he needed to hear something kind. “You know… you have the love and respect of everyone who works for you, Nate. It’s a rare thing, you should be proud of yourself.”

He returned the comforting smile with one of his own, looking down in sudden, unfamiliar sheepishness. He felt like a boy again, receiving hard-earned praise from his parents and grandparents. All of those people, with the exception of his grandmother, had come to disappoint him eventually. But Ella— she had that same genuine heart that his grandmother had, offering kindness without the expectation of anything in return. Compliments from her meant something.

“I appreciate you saying that,” He replied sincerely. “But you’re the one who should be proud of yourself. You’ve only been here— less than a year? Christ, such a short time, and I can’t imagine The Spectator without you. You really… You’ve got a bright future ahead of you, El.”

Ella’s eyes were round as discs. If Nate couldn’t handle praise, Ella was overwhelmed by it. 

“I wouldn’t be here at all if you hadn’t believed in me,” She gave him a shy little smile. He was making eye contact with her now. He hadn’t realized how hard he’d been avoiding that, but now that he was, it was like he couldn’t stop. Her eyes were such a dark brown they looked black, two twinkling voids staring back at him. 

He opened his mouth to say something-- anything-- but then he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, tearing him from this strange, exhaustion-fueled moment of sincerity. He pulled it out-- a message from Chuck.

_ Aurora, Ella and you are nowhere to be found… threesome? _

Nate rolled his eyes-- but then realized he had an opportunity. If Aurora wasn’t at the party anymore…

“Who is it?” Ella asked, already moving back towards the elevator.

“Just Chuck being Chuck,” He told her, his thumbs frozen over his phone. He couldn’t just…  _ leave _ , could he? Ella noticed how he stayed unmoving as he thought.

”Everything okay?” She frowned. Nate’s thumbs rapidly typed out a response before he looked back up at her.

“You want to go grab some coffee?” He asked.

Upstairs at the party, Chuck received a message:

_ With Aurora. Don’t know where Ella is, be back ASAP. _

**\-------**

“This is  _ exactly _ what I needed,” Ella snuggled the steaming hot cup of coffee to her chest with one hand and clutched a huge buttered pretzel in the other. The air was very brisk now, the first real signs of winter having crept over the city. The pair shivered even with their coats on over their formal clothing.

“Now we won’t fall asleep during the after party. Cheers,” Nate raised his cup to hers and they both drank gratefully. Without really talking about it, they started walking along the sidewalk away from the coffee stand and away from the Spectator. They both figured they would go inside once they were done with their drinks. 

“I don’t know about not falling asleep, this isn’t exactly strong coffee…” Ella scoffed.

“Should have gotten it black then, this tastes pretty strong,” Nate sipped on his own dark beverage.

“You have to understand I was raised on Cuban coffee. You have to drink that stuff out of itty bitty cups because it’s got so much kick.”

“...You mean like espresso?” Nate asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No… well, yeah. Actually, I guess it really is just espresso,” Ella laughed. “Still, imagine! I’ve been drinking that since I was in middle school. My caffeine tolerance is  _ very _ high.”

“Addict…” Nate muttered into his cup. Ella rolled her eyes.

“You’re one to talk,” With her pretzel, she gestured at the very cup he was clutching to his lips.

“Hey, it’s not a problem until I start dripping it straight into my veins, okay?” He insisted. 

Their chuckles came out in streams of steam in the cold air. They’d turned the corner off the block where they Spectator was located and now, tucked between two high rises, was a tiny little park, full of naked trees, a path and some benches. Ella stopped in her tracks. 

“...When did this get here?”

“This? It’s always been here…” Nate told her. “I come here to have lunch sometimes when the weather is good.”

“And you never invited me? How very fake of you,” Ella pushed the little gate open and walked onto the path. She looked back at him impishly. “Have you ever read The Secret Garden?”

“No, I haven’t,” Nate admitted, following her in.

“I was obsessed with that book when I was younger,” She confessed to him as they ventured further in. “I always had this fantasy I’d be poking around outside and find the door to a hidden garden… This place doesn’t look anything like the book described, but still.”

Nate raised his eyebrows and took in the park full of bare trees-- a far cry from a lush, magical garden.

“Maybe if it were snowing…” he mused out loud. She looked at him and then back up at the bare branches. 

“It would definitely be a little more enchanting if it were snowing,” She agreed, laughing.

Nate followed her gaze back up to the skeletal trees and the warm orange lamps that lined the path. For a moment, he saw it as she did. It really would look like an enchanted place lightly dusted in snow, and Ella was the perfect protagonist for the winter fantasy, the hem of her silver skirt swishing beneath her coat as she walked down the little path with wide-eyed wonderment. 

She came across a bench and took a seat.

“Let’s sit for a little while, it’s nice out here.” 

Nate obligingly took a seat. He noted the little tremor that ran through Ella as she sipped her coffee and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Nice, she says,” He scoffed. “You’re shivering, how can you say it’s nice out?”

Ella gave him a look.

“I can’t control my physical reaction, but it really isn’t that cold! I’m fine!” She insisted.

Nate shook his head as another involuntary shiver ran through her.

“Whatever you say, I guess. Don’t you dare die of hypothermia,” He told her sternly.

“ _ Exagerado _ ,” She muttered in the musical tones of Spanish. He had no idea what it meant, but he assumed she was brushing him off again. He watched as she took the top off her coffee, frothy with cream. She broke off a piece of her pretzel and dipped it in the sweet liquid before popping it in her mouth with a contented sigh. “You want some?”

“Sure,” He nodded, taking the little nugget of bread. Their hands brushed. They pointedly acted like it didn’t happen. He dipped it into the coffee as she had. He hesitated.

“Go on,” She encouraged him. He tasted it.

“Wow. That’s delicious,” he exclaimed.

“Right? Have some more, this pretzel is huge!” She laughed. Their knees were touching now, but neither moved as they quietly snacked. It felt a little silly, honestly, because the knee touching thing? It was impossible not to be aware of it but they were both pretending so hard it wasn’t happening, neither one acknowledging it or moving to change it. Both wondering when the other was finally going to do something about it. 

Ella wasn’t sure how long they sat there, but eventually, when the pretzel was gone, the conversation paused and she shivered again, pressing her hands to her face. “Damn it, I take it all back. It’s freezing.”

Nate wanted to laugh at her, but, because of some physical impulse entirely disconnected from his thought process, he reached out a hand instead. He touched the hand pressed to her cheek. She froze a little, staring at him. But then her fingers moved to cover his, slender and icy compared to his warmth. She leaned into his touch, eyes watching him. Her skin was so soft under his fingertips it hurt.

“Your hands are warm,” She whispered, eyes flickering to his lips. Nate didn’t know what to say, but he opened his mouth as though to speak anyway. Her eyes flickered back up to his. Had they been leaning forward this whole time? They must have been, because they were suddenly so close it was almost like it happened by accident.

Almost.


	14. How to Get Your Shit Together

Ella rolled over in bed— and she felt that she’d rolled right into Nate’s arms. A smile spread on her sleeping face.

“Good morning,” she heard him murmur, kissing the top of her head. She nuzzled into his chest, planting kisses all over the warm skin there. Being in his arms felt so good it almost hurt. Actually, it was getting to be rather unpleasant, and it wasn’t her heart aching-- it was her eyes. She murmured at Nate to close the blinds. He didn’t respond and the light kept shining. It was so annoying, in fact, that she finally opened her eyes… and woke up.

She immediately closed them again. She’d left her blinds open and a window full of morning sun was hitting her right in the face. She sat up yawning. Her bed was empty of anyone but herself, of course. She sighed frustratedly.

The night of the launch party had not gone exactly as she’d expected. Not that she knew what she had expected, but she definitely had not thought Nate would kiss her. She laid back in her bed remembering it. It had been sudden, the presence of his warm lips on hers. One second, he was just sitting there looking more gorgeous than anyone had a right to and laughing at her lack of resistance to the cold, and the next… he was touching her. Softly. And looking at her mouth, which is what really did her in.

She hadn’t been able to help herself, parting her lips to kiss him back. It tasted like coffee and butter and he felt soft and warm in all the right ways… her free hand had reached for him without thinking, the kiss deepening. Her heart had been beating like it was trying to break free of her rib cage as he buried a hand in her hair, and her own hand slid up his neck bury her fingertips in the soft hair on his nape, nervous because this was _Nate_ \-- No, this was _Mr. Archibald,_ she reminded herself. Her _boss!_ Some sanity finally breaking through the fog of want that had descended over both of them, she’d had enough self-control to yank away.

“Ella, I—,” He’d stuttered. But whatever he was about to say, apology or confession, it never came and she was already standing.

“We-- We can’t do this,” She’d told him, backing away as snow began to fall. 

It was no more than a flurry that melted before it hit the ground, but she damned that snow with its silly romantic timing straight to hell. She’d gone straight home afterwards. The idea of having to deal with… god, just anyone, including Nate himself at the after party had made her nauseous so she gladly fallen into her bed in a drunken slumber. She hadn’t been able to escape judgement, however. Her dreams were plagued with the people scowling at her all that night… Nate also featured heavily and this continued into the next nights that weekend. He was everywhere in her dreams: in her bed, back on the bench, somewhere on his desk at the office, in a million places but none of them actually here or actually with her.

She should have kissed him back and shut the hell up is what she should have done! She groaned to herself, pulling the covers over her face. Logically, she knew she’d made the right decision. No good could come of fraternizing with her boss, for Pete’s sake. Especially not when her boss was Nate Archibald, god’s gift to women everywhere. Still, the irrational part of her, the part of her that _felt_ , it was aching for him to touch her again.

Eddy and Adam had been blowing up her phone since that very night, as well, and now that it was Monday she was going to have to face them. She knew they’d forgive her for disappearing. Or not. It didn’t matter, she was used to getting dirty looks in the office, but Nate... She had no idea what she was going to do if— no, _when_ — she saw Nate today.

She pulled out clothes from her closet, breathing deeply to still the panic that was setting in. She caught a glance at herself in the reflection of her mirror and took a moment to look herself in the eye. It was time to get her shit together.

——

Nate had a million and one things to do. The sales and advertising numbers from this weekend would be in today and now he’d be able to see whether his little experiment had paid off. Besides this, there were the usual budgets to sign off on and reports from the editors on next week's features. Yes, he was going to be a busy man today and he was glad of it.

He rose early, went for a run, and showered at the office. By the time he emerged, the Spectator was abuzz with life. He went to the door of his office, ignoring the strange feeling of dread he suddenly felt in his stomach, and glanced out into the newsroom. Of their own accord, his eyes went directly to the lifestyle section of cubicles, to the desk of one particular junior editor. She wasn’t there yet— but Adam and Eddy were, chatting casually only a few feet away. Nate usually left the actual managing of the writers to their editors, but he glanced at his watch anyway. It was 9:03. Those two should have been at their desks by this time.

The two young men stopped talking to each other and Nate followed their eyes. It was Ella, now four minutes late, sweeping through the newsroom in her usual slacks, sweater and ponytail. A smile spread across her face as she saw Eddy and Adam. Nate promptly shut his door. 

He crossed to his desk. His phone was ringing and emails were flying into his inbox. What Ella was doing right now did not matter to him, he chanted to himself. It was time to get his shit together.

——-

Ella wasn’t surprised to see Eddy and Adam by her desk. She smiled at them winningly, disguising her actual exhaustion. 

“Hey guys,” She greeted as she walked past them. They followed after her.

“Hey, Ella, how’s it going?” Adam returned, with a smile.

“So, we’re not good enough for you anymore, huh?” Eddy asked, sidestepping him. 

Ella raised an eyebrow at Eddy.

“It’s going as well as it can on a Monday, Adam, thanks for asking,” She replied before addressing the other man. “And don’t be silly, you two were never good enough for me.”

She took her seat primly with a little smirk at them as she turned on her computer.

“You wound me, Madame,” Eddy clutched his chest. 

“We were just worried when you didn’t come to the after party…” Adam supplied in gentler tones.

“And when you weren’t answering your phone,” Eddy added, making Adam glance at him with sudden suspicion. He knew Eddy was trying to step on his game, but now he was wondering if Ella had answered the other man and not him. 

“I drank way too much,” Ella sighed. “I headed straight home and I’ve just been recovering the rest of the weekend… sorry for ghosting you.”

“You’re going to have to pace yourself for the office Christmas party,” Adam chuckled, feeling better.

“You said it, I already wrote to Santa asking him for some self-control,” Ella agreed with a smile, before glancing at her watch. “You guys know it’s almost 9:10 right?”

Adam and Eddy straightened up from their positions leaning over her cubicle.

‘’Shit, well we’ll see you later for our edits then,” Adam bid his farewell.

“Be gentle please!” Eddy called back to her as he left.

Ella chuckled to herself. Those two didn’t hate her. That was good, but now it was time to work. She opened up her agenda. Her responsibilities were going to be twofold from now on, with her position in the app as well as in the newspaper, and her to-do lists were color coded accordingly. Highlighted in red: reviewing the web posts for the lifestyle and political sections. She’d only managed to get through a few, however, when Dan came to her desk.

“The numbers are in, the IT guys are going to break it down for us in the conference room,” He told her. She stood immediately. Besides just obsessing about Nate, she’d been on the Spectator’s new app repeatedly this weekend. She’d seen the number of likes and shares as they appeared on the app, but actual traffic numbers would be the real proof of whether it was a success. She was so anxious to know how the app had done, actually, that she almost forgot who was bound to be at this meeting. He was sitting at the head of the conference table when she and Dan walked in.

Nate glanced up at them and Ella’s eyes immediately found somewhere else to look. They took their seats. It was a quick meeting, but the message was clear— they’d done well. 

Ella and the editors whooped, high fives Abounding. The meeting wasn’t quite over, however. Before everyone left, Nate cleared his throat and stood.

“Before you all go, I’d like to say a couple of things.” He began, “Firstly, I am so proud of all of you and of the Spectator for taking this giant leap forward with me. If our project continues to do well, there may very well be raises on the horizon for many of you. Besides that, however, no matter how difficult the past month has been in preparation, the months that come now as we adjust to our new workload will bring its own challenges. I noticed today that several of the writers— and even some of the editors— were late coming in.”

Ella froze in her seat as his eye met hers. It was brief, but sharp.

“Now no one was _egregiously_ tardy, but I do expect you all to be at your desks by nine from now on and to exercise some control over your writers. We’re here to work, not to gossip, and our success is counting on everyone doing their part. Thank you all so much again and have a great rest of your day. I’ll be in my office if anyone has questions for me.”

With that Nate was finished. His expression had remained relaxed, if authoritative, but Ella saw that furrow between his brows as he gathered up his documents. She slipped out quickly from the board room. Dan could fend for himself, if he wanted to stay. 

It was obvious to her that Nate was bothered by something. That this something was her, she was almost certain. She’d thought he was in his office when she arrived today, but he must have seen her coming in late. Adam and Eddy had been loitering by her desk as well— that couldn’t have possibly made him happy, seeing them there. But she’d only been four minutes late and she’d sent them away immediately! Hadn’t he seen that part? It didn’t matter that he hadn’t called her out, why couldn’t he have just spoken to her if it meant so much to him? 

Fuming, she sat down at her desk. She settled on a game plan for her future dealings with Nathaniel Archibald— cold politeness if they did have to speak, but otherwise she’d be avoiding him like the plague.

——-

Nate felt particularly strange at least twice that day. The first was at noon, when he and the first shift of writers usually had lunch. He ate at his desk, for the most part, with his assistants or with Dan and Serena if she was visiting. Before he would ever sit down to eat, however, he had a little ritual he had never even realized he had. He would get up to go get a soda from the break room— the path to which lead straight by Ella’s desk. There, he’d lean on the side of her cubicle and make fun of whatever sweater she was wearing. She just wore so many of them you had to wonder if she had one in every imaginable color and pattern. He’d tease her extra if she were wearing all black like she usually did. It always looked fantastic on her, of course, but he never told her that. She would banter back and then he’d go on his way. He had gotten all the way to his office door today before he realized what he was doing and stopped himself.

Then there was closing time. Nate always knew it was 5:00 pm because Ella would poke her head in to say bye or wave at him through the glass. Not so today, it was already 5:15 pm when he checked the clock. 

This had happened for a couple of weeks after the Waldorf-Bass dinner party, but they’d been busy then so they’d had an excuse. It was easier to forget it was happening, but now… God damn it, he couldn’t believe he’d kissed her!

This was exactly the train of thought he’d been dodging all day. Work had helped, but now the day was done and he had nothing to distract himself with. Already the thoughts that had been quietly chiding him in his idle moments were starting to spin in his head again at full-speed, shoving his mistake back in his face over and over. He tried to re-focus… but he’d checked off all the items on his to-do list, including sending Aurora Blake the specs for her possible investment in The Spectator. 

As though the universe had decided to take it easy on him for just a second, his phone went off. Would you look at that, it was Aurora thanking him for the information… and wondering when he’d have a chance to meet and discuss the details with her. He stared at the message for a moment before replying, ignoring a ridiculous surge of guilt as he typed out a suggestion for dinner. He immediately backspaced, replaced it with lunch tomorrow, and hit send. No need to move too quickly, no matter how worried his friends supposedly were about his relationship status. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LMAO, no relief for either of 'em! What do you guys think? Do I yank them apart too much? Or is edging your thing like it is mine? ;) Comments are always appreciated!


	15. 'Tis the Season for Fuckery

Ella’s plan had been working for the past couple of days--though who was avoiding who was no longer clear. They were both avoiding each other, she supposed, which was better than getting underhanded lectures about her tardiness any day. But this couldn’t last forever. The app was running, thus far, like a well-oiled machine but there were sure to be hiccups at some point and there were the inevitable expansions to plan. Oh, well. She had until at least next year before she had to worry about that and, despite what Adam and Eddy seemed to think, she wasn’t planning on being in New York for any more holiday parties.

“I want a week off,” She told Dan bluntly.

“A week?” Dan exhaled, eyebrows raised. “We literally just got the app up and running, I don’t think we can spare you for that long, El.”

“Oh, come on Dan, I’m way ahead on my deadlines and I want to spend time with my family,” She begged him. He grimaced sympathetically. She wasn’t going to like what he was about to tell her...

“...You have to take it up with Nate. I can’t make this kind of decision for him right now.” He told her, watching her eyes narrow and her mouth screw up.

“Fine,” she snapped, turning on her heel and stalking out of his office. She didn’t stop back at her desk, not wanting to lose the bit of courage she had. This was going to ruin her plan, but she had to treat it just like a band-aid and rip it off immediately. She paused in front of Nate’s office door… and knocked.

“Come in!” She heard him call. She opened the door with a deep breath. 

“Hey, sorry to bother you, but--,” She cut off mid-sentence, realizing there was a third person in the room. A very beautiful, very blonde, and very female third person. “Oh, hi… Sorry, am I interrupting? I can come back--.”

The woman stood.

“Don’t leave on my account, I was just going,” She assured Ella, before leaning over Nate’s desk to kiss him on the cheek. “I’ll be seeing you on Saturday?”

“I’ll let you know. See you later, Aurie.” Nate bid her farewell. Ella stepped to the side to let the woman pass. Whatever perfume she was wearing lingered in the air-- it was delicious. 

“Sorry if I interrupted anything…” Ella apologized again, hesitating by the door.

“Not at all,” Nate told her quickly, motioning towards a chair. “What’s up?”

He offered her a polite smile which she returned even more half-heartedly.

“I was actually wondering if I could have a week off. I tried asking Dan, but he said I had to take it up with you,” She got to the point quickly.

Nate leaned back in his chair.

“A week? Which week?” He asked her.

“The week of Christmas, from Monday the 24th to the 28th… I want to visit my family in Miami,” She explained, now making eye contact with him.

“I don’t know Ella…That means you would have the next Monday off for New Years, as well. It’s a lot of time,” Nate blew out a breath, “The app…”

“I’m ahead of my deadlines and if anything happens you can still call me and I’ll do work from there… Please, Nate,” Ella asked, fixing on him with her eyes.

Nate couldn’t escape that gaze-- simultaneously pleading and accusatory. Accusatory? He knew instantly what she was accusing him of, and he was flooded with guilt for a brief moment. At least, until the anger set in. What had he done? She’s the one who’d yanked away from him, what did she care if he saw other women? It was one kiss, for Christ’s sake!

“I have to think about it,” He told her, his tone colder than he intended. Her eyes widened and blood rushed to her cheeks. Quickly, she cast down her gaze and stood, nodding.

“Of course, I understand. Thank you,” She walked out of the office as fast as her legs could carry her without breaking into a sprint. She shut his door with a soft click, the finality of that soft sound almost worse than if she had slammed it. 

Immediately, Nate felt remorse set in. What was he doing? He stood up and jogged to his office door. Ella was still close by, walking to her desk.

“Ella, wait!” He called. She turned to him, surprised.

“Yes?” She asked. He motioned for her to enter his office again. She obliged, eyeing him warily.

“Please, sit down,” He sat down, not in his chair, but in the one right across from her. When they were both seated he looked at her, his crystal blue eyes clouded. “I think we need to talk about a few things.”

“What about?” She asked, her tone as wary as the expression on her face.

“Well, firstly, about your vacation,” Nate offered her a small apologetic smile. “Of course you can take a week off and go see your family. I’m sorry about the way I responded before it’s just… I don’t know.”

“...You don’t know?” Ella echoed, one finely arched brow rising.

“No, I do know,” Nate sighed. “We’ve been avoiding each other again, haven’t we.”

He didn’t ask, he just stated it like the inarguable fact it was. Ella nodded, lowering her eyes. 

“I’m not going to play stupid and act like I don’t know why,” Nate continued, feeling so nervous suddenly. “I’ve behaved inappropriately around you several times now and I… I just wanted to apologize for making you feel uncomfortable. It wasn’t my intention, I promise you. I’d like for us to be friends again, if you’ll have me. If you don’t want that, it’s cool, I just want you to know that I care for and respect you and I’m going to behave professionally around you from now on.”

Ella swallowed hard and blinked. 

“I—,” She began, needing to take another breath before continuing, “I understand. Don’t even worry about last Friday...I want us to be friends, too.”

There she’d said it. Nate smiled.

“I… I’m glad. Is there anything else I can help you with today? Anything you want to talk about?” He queried. Ella stared at the pleasant expression on his face, stopping at his beautiful eyes, and felt that she wanted the earth to swallow her. Knowing this wouldn’t happen, she flashed him a smile of her own.

“I’m good for now,” She assured him. “Thank you, Nate.”

She left his office again feeling worse than before. So he didn’t hate her. He just wanted to be friends. Somehow, that wasn’t comforting.

——-

“What are you doing for Christmas?” Serena asked, extending a chocolate muffin to Ella across Dan’s desk. They were in here having lunch and Dan had run out to grab some sparkling water and two sodas from the vending machine. Ella, feeling forlorn after the morning’s meeting with Nate, didn’t care that she was third wheeling. She was just glad for company.

“Heading to Miami to visit the  _ familia _ ,” Ella told her, taking a bite of the pastry. Ugh, delicious. “What about you guys?”

“Well, we’re spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day here in New York with family, but I wanted to go somewhere warmer for New Years…” Serena pursed her lips and squinted. Ella knew that look by now. She was scheming. 

“Oh? Like where?” Ella asked, just as Dan came in. He was the one who’d called Serena after seeing how dejected Ella looked. Feeling responsible for pushing her to talk to Nate, he knew that his wife would cheer her up. Now, however, he’d just walked in on Serena making her scheming face and he was starting to think maybe the two of them couldn’t be left alone anymore.

“What’s up guys?” He asked warily.

“How would you feel about spending New Year's in Miami, babe?” Serena asked him suddenly.

“Miami?” Dan immediately looked at Ella, who put up her hands. 

“I don’t know where she gets these crazy ideas,” She told him innocently.

“Come on! It will be fun, we can stay on South Beach and hit up the clubs in downtown, go to the beach in the mornings…” His wife pouted up at him.

“Yeah, Dan, you guys can go swimming in the freezing cold Atlantic and then sunbathe in 50 degree weather like real northerners,” Ella interjected teasingly. Serena flashed her a look.

“Ella. Not helping,” She turned her mesmerizing eyes on her husband. “Let’s go, Dan!”

“...We’ll still be spending Christmas itself with family?” He asked, will visibly weakening.

“Yes, of course,” Serena assured him.

“Then, sure, why not?” he took a seat and smiled. “Ella can take us sightseeing.”

Ella laughed. She’d have to google some fun touristy stuff for them to do, since her plans up until that point had been to bore herself to death in the suburbs of Hialeah with her extended kin. But they did have a rocking party every year for  _ el Nuevo A _ _ ño  _ that she could invite them to, give them a little taste of Cuban American culture...

“Sounds like a plan,” She replied, taking another bite of her muffin. Maybe she wouldn’t have to spend her whole vacation wallowing in self pity after all.

**\------**

Nate had felt a lot of things for and about Ella during her tenure at The Spectator. Jealousy had never been among them-- until now. He knew it was silly but how else was he supposed to feel when he found out that his best friends were ditching him for New Years?

“We’re not ditching you, you big baby,” Serena rolled her eyes at the brooding expression clouding Nate’s face. “It’s just a few days, you’ll hardly notice we’re gone. Besides, you have your family to spend time with…”

Nate gave her a look. Serena back-pedaled immediately.

“Okay, so maybe the Archibalds aren’t a fun alternative…”

“What about Chuck and Blair?” Dan offered, looking very comfortable in his sweats-- a funny juxtaposition to Serena in her silk robe and nightgown. Nate was looking pretty casual himself, having stopped by to watch a game after hitting up the gym. The Lakers and Warriors were now running back and forth on the television screen unheeded, however.

“I guess,” Nate conceded grumpily. “If I feel like watching them grope each other in public.”

“Well, Aurora is also an option…” Serena reminded him liltingly.

“True,” He considered this with a little more enthusiasm. “She might be going back to Texas for the holidays, though.”

“Well, find out! If not, I think some romantic winter-time dates are in order.”

Dan squinted at his wife.

“Since when are you team Aurora?” He asked her. “I thought you said she was the most boring person-- Ow!”

Dan rubbed his arm where he’d just been pinched by two perfectly manicured and very sharp nails. Nate raised an eyebrow at the two of them.

“Team Aurora?” He asked, his tone accusatory. “What other teams are there?”

Serena shook her head, giving Dan a final scowl for shoving them under the bus.

“Oh, come on, Nate, you know we thought you and Ella might turn into something…” She trailed off, watching as the frown on Nate’s face deepened. He turned to Dan.

“You, Dan? Even you?” He asked. Dan shook his head quickly.

“My position remains the same-- fraternizing with an employee would have been a mistake, no matter how great Ella is,” He reassured his glowering friend.

“And yet the two of you are spending Christmas with her-- You do understand how that’s kind of fucked up, right?” He exclaimed. It was Serena’s turn to get huffy, however, and she leaned forward with her blue eyes alight.

“Why, Nate?” She asked him bitingly. “It’s not like you have feelings for her, right? I thought all of us were friends with her-- including you!”

“We are! I am-- I just--,” He sputtered. 

“Then why don’t you just join us in Miami, then?” She pressed. “If we’re all such great friends, then that shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

She saw one turquoise eye twitch, to her immense satisfaction. She’d cut through his bullshit at long last--

“Fine,” He spit out, not to be cornered. “Sounds like fun.”

Serena threw up her hands in defeat, standing from the couch.

“I’m going to go find some booze,” She announced. “If anyone wants beer, they can go get it themselves. I’m done with the both of you.”

“What did I do?” Dan protested after her retreating figure.

“Coward!” She yelled before disappearing into the kitchen. Dan turned to Nate, wide-eyed.

“You come into my home, rile up my wife…” He muttered.

“Not my fault she’s crazy,” Nate responded settling back again to watch the game. It dawned on him that he’d just agreed to spend his New Years with the very person he’d promised to avoid. It was too late to take it back now, not without Serena lording it over him until they had an excruciating heart to heart that she would subsequently describe in detail to everyone in the non-judging breakfast club. Nope. He wasn’t going to tell anybody what happened between him and Ella last Friday. Kiss? Pfft, what kiss?

Damn it. Now he was thinking about the kiss. He really needed a beer.


	16. Welcome to Miami, B*tch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that we're in Miami, we're going to be introduced to some locals which means dialogue in Spanish and Spanglish. See the end for translations, though I'm hoping context clues will probably make this easier for most to understand.

Putting up the streamers for her parents’ New Year’s party, Ella took a pause in her exertions to turn to her sister and complain.

“How the fuck is it so hot down here in the dead of winter,” She demanded. Her sister gave her a look. She’d asked a variation of this question at least once a day everyday since she’d gotten home.

“Ella, most of south Florida is what we would call a sub-tropical zone and in subtropical zones there are only two seasons: wet and dry. The concept of “winter” is just a construct,” Thalia informed her. Ella rolled her eyes.

“Isn’t this dry season then?” She pressed. Her sister confirmed that it was. “Then why is it humid?”

“Because New York ruined you, that’s why,” Thalia snapped. “It’s not that hot and it’s not that humid, you just aren’t used to it anymore-- Hand me the other end of the banner, would you?”

“Meh meh meh, I’m Thalia, I’m studying biology, but I don’t like explaining anything, meh,” Ella whined, handing her the other end of the banner. Thalia burst out laughing. Ella grinned back. 

It was good to be home again, that was for sure. While Ella had been less than pleased to see how her father was spending his vacation-- half-drunk in the morning and too-drunk at night-- it was still so good to see them again. Hug them again. Hear them speaking Spanish in the distance again. And the smell of home-- it was intoxicating. She’d never noticed the scent that lingered in her parent’s house until she moved away. Now, it was as distinctive to her as any perfume, a combination of sofrito and cuban coffee. 

They were in the kitchen right now, while she and her sister set up the patio for the night’s festivities. Her plans for the night were as follows: eat here with Serena and Dan, then head out to a nightclub on South Beach. Of course, Serena knew the owner and he’d happily put her on the VIP list. Her father had been less than thrilled when he found out that she wasn’t going to be home for midnight, but he would just have to get over it. She’d spent every other moment of her vacation home with them and-- what was the old saying? Christmas is for family, but New Years is for friends?

“Oye, Little Miss VIP, ponte a trabajar!” Ah, speak of the devil and he’ll walk right out onto the patio. She cast her father a look.

“I am working!” She protested. “You think all of these decorations put  _ themselves _ up, papi?”

She gestured at the nearly completed patio.

“Estoy jugando, m’ija,” He smirked, coming up and giving her a squeeze. “What, they don’t make jokes up in New York?”

“Not funny ones,” She smirked back. He laughed and gave her another hug.

“That’s right, that’s right,” He chuckled, before ambling back inside to finish preparing the food. Ella sighed as soon as he’d disappeared.

“He was smoking earlier. His clothes reek,” She commented to her sister. Thalia sighed and shrugged with some exasperation.

“You’ve already yelled at him every day this week, can’t you just drop it?”

“Whatever,” Ella muttered, stepping back to look at the banner. “If he wants to spend his hard-earned money giving himself lung cancer, que se joda entonces… it’s off center.”

Thalia stepped back to admire the banner, as well. She frowned.

“Damn it, you’re right,” She acceded. “But it’s your turn on the ladder! I’m going inside to get a drink, want anything?”

“Get me a beer, I’ll take care of this,” Ella assured her. She felt a little bit of pressure to make this party perfect for Serena and Dan. She knew they wouldn’t really care, so long as they had a good time, but… this wasn’t the VIP section of some upscale club, it was her parent’s backyard, you know? It wasn’t very plausible that they’d be impressed. She sighed to herself as she straightened the banner. Oh, well. At least it was just Serena and Dan, right?

\-------------------------

“Nate’s coming?” Ella squeaked when S called to confirm their plans. “Since when? When did he even come to Miami?”

“...A few days ago…” Serena whispered into her phone so the two men in her hotel room wouldn’t over hear. Ella heard as she shut herself in her bathroom for privacy. Ella’s grip on her phone tightened until her knuckles turned white. 

“ _ Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?! _ ” Ella growled, louder than she’d intended. Her sister, fixing herself up at the vanity, paused what she was doing to look back at Ella in concern.

“I-- He didn’t--,” Serena stuttered, taken aback by the rage in Ella’s voice. She’d known Nate was being all weird and didn’t want Ella to know he was in town, going off fishing while they went exploring in Little Havana the other day. He was a broody boy. Everyone knew that. But for Ella to be so affected...

“A few days?” Ella hissed, a little more quietly. “So he was here when we went out and you didn’t say anything?”

“He was off doing his own thing, I didn’t think it mattered,” Serena hissed back. Ella took a deep breath. She was taking this out on Serena when she knew that she and Nate had been friends for much longer than they had. Of course she would cover for him. She exhaled, trying to be understanding.

“It doesn’t matter,” She said through gritted teeth. “It’s fine… I just would have liked some warning, you know?”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Serena sighed guiltily. “He’s been really cagey, I don’t think Christmas went very well with his family… We just feel really bad leaving him in the hotel room by himself...”

Now, that wasn’t exactly a lie. The Archibalds were a bunch of snakes and Nate could hardly stand them. Was that necessarily the reason why he was in Miami? Not really. Ella didn’t have to know how S had cornered him into this, though, not when she was already reacting so badly. Better to guilt her into accepting this abrupt change in plans.

“Ugh, fine! Don’t be overdressed for this, please, we can change for the club afterwards,” She instructed snappily before hanging up. Thalia turned to her and raised an eyebrow.

“Everything okay?”

Ella sighed and shook her head. She then told her everything. If she’d thought Thalia had been raising her eyebrows before, now they were practically touching her hairline.

“Keep looking at me like that and your face will get stuck that way,” She warned. Thalia dropped the expression and rolled her eyes.

“You and Nate Archibald… I just can’t believe it. It’s like you’re dating a celebrity.”

“We are not dating! How did you get that from everything I just told you?” Ella threw up her hands and buried her face in the covers of the bed. “Anyway, I’m pretty sure he’s dating that blonde woman. The kiss was a one-time thing. A mistake.”

“Right. And you guys are just good friends now, then?” Thalia asked, her eyes narrowed. Ella looked at her from behind a fold in the comforter, her own eyes turning into slits.

“Yes.”

“Then pull yourself together! The party is in an hour and you haven’t even started your makeup. You want your  _ bestest friend  _ Nate to see you like this?” She gestured at Ella’s currently disheveled appearance.

“One, I resent that,” Ella snapped. She then sighed. “Two, you’re right. Hurry up with the mirror while I shower so I can get ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Cesar Vasquez: "Oye, Little Miss VIP, ponte a trabajar!"
> 
> Translation: "Hey, Little Miss VIP, get to work!"
> 
> 2\. Cesar Vazquez: "Estoy jugando, m'ija."
> 
> Translation: "I'm just kidding around, honey." (M'ija literally translates to an abbreviated version of "my daughter" but it's a term of endearment often used for anyone female.)
> 
> 3\. Ella Vazquez: "Que se joda entonces..."
> 
> Translation: "Then he can go fuck himself..."


	17. No Party Like a Vazquez Party

An hour later, Nate, Dan, and Serena arrived at the Vazquez household. Nate hadn’t really had any expectations of what Ella’s family home looked like, but he found that it looked a whole lot like the rest of the small, ranch-style suburban homes that dotted the landscape. The yard was encircled by a chain-link fence, the grass was sparse, a few gangly palm trees swayed dangerously close to the power lines that hung over the sidewalk… and the din of music could be heard from where they stood. 

It was already dark out, but Serena’s eyes shone in the orange streetlights.  
“Sounds lit,” She commented excitedly. She may have been an upper east side princess at heart, but she knew the sound of a good party when she heard it, no matter where it was. Dan, of course, couldn’t care less where his parties took place. And Nate… he wasn’t nervous. He was absolutely not nervous, as he shoved his hands into his pockets nervously. He definitely wasn’t totally regretting having been jealous of Ella, either, now that he was here, in Miami, at her parent’s house, where she would undoubtedly be inside and probably wearing a godforsaken dress that would make him want to try kissing her again. Nope. Not nervous. The three of them couldn’t have looked more out of place as they swung open the low gate and approached the front door.

Serena paused in front of the door, before turning.

“Should I call her or…”

“Just ring the damn door bell,” Dan laughed stepping forward to do the deed. They heard “Home on the Range” play faintly on the artificial bells inside. The door flew open. A man with skin like worn leather, a salt and pepper beard, and surprisingly blue eyes opened the door. He peered out at them for a moment in confusion, a hand on his potbelly.

“Uh… is this Ella Vasquez’s house?” Serena asked when he didn’t say anything. His face broke into a bright smile.

“Ah, si! Ella’s friends, no?” He asked, stepping to the side. “Come in, come in!”

“Thank you!” Serena grinned, stepping inside.

“Ustedes… eh, speak any Spanish?” He asked, accent thick but clear.

“Solo un poquito,” Serena giggled while Dan and Nate shook their heads. Nate caught the man’s attention.

“Wow, mira esos ojos-- your eyes, they’re like mine!” He exclaimed, before winking. “No, pero estas guapisimo m’ijo. You must get a lot of ladies!”

“Papi!” Ella suddenly appeared from the bowels of the house with a horrified expression on her face (and not wearing a dress after all, just some jeans and a tank top, oddly enough.) She quickly smiled and stepped in front of her father. At least her friends were laughing at his antics, which was good. She relaxed a little, but slapped her dad’s arm nonetheless. “Are you harassing my friends?”

“Harassing? Quien dijo que yo estaba “harassing” anyone?” He asked indignantly. “We were just having a conversation, no?”

Nate nodded. “Yeah, El. He was about to give me some tips on picking up ladies, right?”

Ella’s father cackled. “Exactamente, see? He gets it. Who wants beer?”

All three of them raised their hands. Ella’s dad clapped his hands together in satisfaction. 

“I’ll bring them right now-- party’s outside!” With that he shooed them towards the backyard before heading to the kitchen. Ella shook her head, smiling.

“Aw, I’m so glad you guys came!” She enveloped Serena in a hug, then Dan.

“Of course, wouldn’t have missed it,” Dan grinned. Ella paused in front of Nate, but only for a moment, before she hugged him as well.

“And you-- glad you came, too,” She murmured. All her prior rage was gone. He was here and his presence alone made it difficult to stay mad. Still, she’d have to find a quiet moment to ask him a few choice questions about his presence in Miami. Later, though. Later.

“Sounds like a good time,” He smiled, nodding his head towards the backyard and the obvious sounds of a party that were reverberating through the house.

“Let’s get out there then, I’ve got some rum if anyone wants to do shots…”

She lead them outside. Thalia was the first to stop them, greeting them all with a dainty kiss on the cheek.

“So nice to meet you guys! Ella’s told me all about you-- Mami! Ella’s friends from New York are here!” She called back into the crowd of people who were dancing and conversing on the large, roofed patio. Out of the sea of extended family and friends, Ella’s mom emerged, beer in hand.

“Ay! But you didn’t tell me how pretty they were!” She smiled at them all and embraced them with smacking kisses on the cheek. “Did Cesar already offer you drinks? There’s food on the table over there.”

She pointed out the huge assortment of delicious smelling food next to the speakers. Ella could see her cousins already staring at the three gorgeous gringos she’d just brought into the party and it made her roll her eyes.

“Okay, so a lot of these people are neighbors and family, they’re all going to say they’re my cousin and hug you and shit but they’ll leave you alone after that,” She muttered quietly, before leading them into the fray.

If Nate thought she’d been exaggerating, he was quickly proven wrong. Every step he took, he walked into another “cousin” of Ella’s who grabbed him in an embrace, complimented his eyes or his hair and then let him go so they could grab Dan or Serena and do the same. About half an hour later, all the appropriate greetings exchanged, they found themselves drinking and eating in a dark corner of the patio.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been to a party like this,” Nate commented to Ella. She couldn’t have very well sat in between Dan and Serena, as much as she wanted to, so they were sandwiched together. Her sister, who had very quickly taken the only other open seat, laughed.

“Ridiculous isn’t it? Most of these people aren’t even related to us,” She took a swig of her beer, not minding the looks Ella was shooting at her.

“This reminds me of when I went to Argentina… Good times,” Serena sighed contentedly. Ella and Thalia’s noses wrinkled up simultaneously.

“Ugh, Argentinians…” Thalia commented. Ella gave her an admonishing look.

“I’m sure Argentina is a very nice place to visit,” She amended for her sister.

“Woah, is that some discrimination I hear from Miss supposedly progressive over here?” Dan snarked at Thalia. They’d already gotten into a political debate in the short time they’d been hanging out and were getting along swimmingly.

“It’s not discrimination, it’s just like bickering with family…” Thalia laughed. “Hispanics like to pretend they hate each other, that’s all. You bring up Cubans to a Puerto Rican and all they’ll say is how we stole their flag and switched up the colors… even though we totally had that flag first and they’re the ones who switched up the colors!”

“What’s wrong with Argentinians, then?” Nate asked curiously.

“They’re stuck up,” Ella and Thalia replied in unison. They looked at each other and dissolved into a fit of giggles.

“It really is terrible, we’ll stop,” Ella said apologetically. “Nothing but love here, I mean, primo Julio is Argentinian, right?”

“No, no, we see you,” Serena sipped on her beer with a wide grin. “Didn’t realize you had this other side of you, El.”

“Ugh, is that judgement I hear in their voices?” Thalia exclaimed to Ella. Serena shrugged, still smiling. Thalia shook her head. “Actually, I think I saw primo Julio earlier and he’s a fantastic dancer-- so if you all are going to keep judging me, I’m going to go have  _ fun _ .”

With a saucy grin, Thalia sauntered off.

“Oh, yes! Let’s dance!” Serena put down her beer and tugged on Dan’s sleeve. 

“But I don’t know how to dance to this!” He protested as she dragged him up.

“Who cares?” She laughed, pulling him out to the middle of the dance floor. Ella and Nate glanced at each other, now alone, and then looked back in front of them quickly. How did they always end up like this?

They watched as Serena and Dan did something that kind of looked like a cross between the chacha and the electric slide. Ella tilted her head as she observed.

“Well… that’s interesting,” She burst out laughing. Nate couldn’t help but chuckle.

“She’s actually a great dancer, but Dan…” Nate shook his head. Ella nodded.

“Yeah, I can see what you’re saying,” She agreed as she saw Serena twirl around Dan while he awkwardly swayed. “He just needs to get some more alcohol in him.”

“Do you dance? To this, I mean?” Nate turned to her, suddenly curious. He’d only ever seen her dance at the launch party, but swing music wasn’t quite the same thing as what was blaring out of the speakers in her parent’s backyard. Everyone seemed to know the steps, the whole crowd rising and falling in unison.

“Yeah, sometimes,” She smiled shyly, the same expression she used when she was being falsely modest. He stared at that smile for a beat too long, remembering all the times he’d seen it. That underlying confidence of hers made the expression oddly alluring, but he was wary right now, trying to keep her busy with conversation that didn’t involve explaining why he was in Miami.

“Are their steps to this or…” He continued his interview.

“Yeah, but there are different steps to different music, not every song is the same. Like this,” She leaned towards him so he could hear her better. “This is salsa, so you would dance to this differently than, say, merengue or bachata, you know?”

Nate gave her a look. Obviously, he didn’t know. She burst out laughing.

“Sorry! But… didn’t you take ballroom dancing when you studied etiquette at prep school or whatever?” Ella teased. Nate scoffed indignantly.

“I mean, we covered waltzing and the foxtrot...?” He trailed off. Ella stared at him in amazement.

“I was only kidding, you know. Did you actually take classes in ballroom dancing at school?” She asked, wide-eyed. He nodded sheepishly. She cackled, clearly very amused by this new information.

“Oh my god, priceless,” She wiped her eyes as she stood from her seat, extending a hand. “Want some more lessons?”

Nate looked up at her, caution in his eyes.

“I don’t know… I don’t want to embarrass myself…”

“Embarrass yourself?” Ella dismissed that with a wave of her hand. “You think these drunk people give a shit if you can’t dance?”

She gestured at the crowd of people who were much too involved in partying to mind anything else. Nate tilted his head in consideration, then sighed.

“Fine,” He took her hand, ignoring how his breath hitched a little at her touch. If Ella noticed, she didn’t say anything, leading him out onto the dance floor… and stopped in front of her mother.

“Mami,” She got the woman’s attention. 

“Si, m’ija?” She asked, eyes darting to the man who was holding her daughter’s hand and then back.

“He doesn’t know how to dance and he wants you to teach him,” Ella told her delivering Nate’s hand to her. Ella’s mother smiled widely.

“But--,” He began to protest, watching Ella back away with a look of utter betrayal on his face. He turned to her mother to repeat his earlier protests. “I really have no idea what I’m doing, I don’t want to embarrass myself-- maybe I should sit down--.”

“Ay, m’ijo, please! Embarrass yourself? Si todos nosotros somos familia, no seas asi!” She scoffed, taking both his hands and totally ignoring the panicked look on his face just like her daughter had. “It’s easy, I promise. Just-- put your hands like this--.”

Ella watched from the sidelines as her mother educated Nate. He looked so adorably out of his element, in his pristine button down and khakis. He kept glancing over at her, squinting angrily. She waved with a laugh. This was the least he deserved for not texting her about being in Miami.

“Oye, prima!” She heard a familiar voice ring out behind her. She turned-- primo Julio was there with her sister, having just finished a round of dancing.

“Julio!” She laughed, embracing him. “Que bolon, tiburon?”

He rolled his eyes. “How many times do I have to tell you that you’re too much of a gringa to be saying that kind of shit?

“ _ I’m _ a gringa? Have you seen my friends?” She gestured at Dan and Serena, who were now dancing with other people. Dan looked uncomfortable, but content to be dragged around the dance floor by her aunt. Serena was blowing him out of the water with another one of Ella’s cousins. 

“La rubia isn’t bad-- her boyfriend, not so much,” Julio laughed. 

“Let me go rescue him,” Thalia offered mercifully, disappearing between people to tap her aunt on the shoulder. Dan looked at her gratefully and followed her back to the food table.

Ella turned to Julio. “So. You still suck at dancing or what?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I can dance circles around your Cuban ass and you know it.”

“But Cubans invented salsa, or didn’t you know that?” She joked as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the throng.

“That sounds like propaganda to me,” He muttered. “We all know that Argentinians invented salsa.”

“Oh, shut up and dance,” She insisted. Julio was a great dancer, of course, but so was she, and she’d been dancing to this kind of music at family parties with him since they were children. 

Serena laughed when they circled close to her. Briefly, they switched partners and then, somehow, trying to switch back, she and Ella ended up dancing together. Cackling with laughter, the swanned away from their partners who looked at each other before grabbing each other’s hands and continuing to dance. 

Ella laughed harder at the sight of her cousins, usually trying so hard to be macho, dancing with each other.

“This is so much fun!” Serena yelled into her ear. Neither of them were keeping the same step, but they kept dancing anyway.

“Right? I thought you’d like it!” Ella yelled back.

“Although...where’d my husband go?” Serena asked, as though she’d just remembered the man she abandoned.

“Talking politics with my sister, probably,” Ella laughed. 

“I should probably go break that up-- save me a dance?” Serena winked at her.

“Duh!” Ella assured her as she was left by herself on the dance floor. She turned, scanning the crowd for a new partner. Her cousins had disappeared-- probably to go dance with their girlfriends who’d been shooting daggers with their eyes at her and Serena. The girls they brought to these parties were always too uptight. She spotted Nate, now dancing with her father for some reason.

She approached and tapped him on the shoulder.

“M’ijita! You didn’t tell me the gringo was such a good dancer!”

“Thank you, Papi, that means a lot,” Nate laughed. Ella frowned. Had he called her father “papi?” Time to intervene.

“I’m cutting in, Dad, go find yourself another gringo to dance with,” She shooed her father away. Muttering something about how bossy she was, her father obliged.

Nate folded his arms and gave Ella a look.

“Oh, so now you come rescue me!”

“It looked like you were having fun,” She shrugged, grinning. “Wanna dance with me or do you want to keep pouting about it?”

She extended a hand. Nate narrowed his eyes but then grabbed her hand and pulled her close.

“You’re really something, you know that,” He put his left hand on her hip, and his right hand in hers, ready to start the back and forth sway of salsa, like Ella’s mom had just taught him. The music abruptly changed, however, to something--- slower? The rhythm was different and he froze. “What the fuck is this? I just got the hang of salsa!”

“This is bachata-- it’s even easier than salsa, I promise. It’s kind of like… like slow dancing,” Ella bit her lip. That sounded so bad. She shook her head and took a step back. “We can sit down, if you want…”

“Well, if it’s easier than salsa, we can give it a try, can’t we?” He shrugged, pulling her back to him. He hadn’t ever touched her like this before, he realized. His hand splayed out at the small of her waist, feeling the dip and rise as her hips curved out. It felt… like it was too much, too inappropriate, but they  _ were _ just dancing after all. He had to stop getting in his own head.

“Okay,” Ella breathed, before clearing her throat. “Okay, so. First, you take two steps to the right-- just like that. Exactly. And kind of pause on the last step.”  
She showed him what she meant, her hips rolling in a way he couldn’t imitate.

“And now two steps to the left. And pause. See? Easy!” She smiled up at him. She was right, this wasn’t as hard as salsa, nothing more than a two step really, but that thing she was doing with her hips…

“How are you doing that?” He asked, trying not to stare.

“Doing what?” She frowned, pulling him back into step with her. She was doing most of the leading, but she didn’t mind. He was keeping up just fine. She just had to stop thinking about his hand on her waist, it was way too distracting.

“That thing… with your hips…” He muttered.

“Oh, this?” She paused and shimmied in a way that made Nate’s heart stop before she burst out laughing and killed the moment. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to do that, just--- swing them with the steps a little and it’ll start happening by itself.”

Nate, for all the embarrassment he’d just suffered at the hands of her parents, still couldn’t help feeling immediately aroused. He breathed in deeply and stared over her head as they danced. He just had to not look at her. Instead, he looked at the other couples around them who were all… grinding on each other. They were doing the steps and all, but their legs were intertwined like they were connected at the hips.

Ella was keeping a safe distance from Nate, only connecting where their hands touched each other. That was already too much, no need to add more contact to the mix---

“What the fuck are you two doing?” She heard primo Julio scoff behind her. He was dancing with his girlfriend, a girl who had her hands twined around his neck and her hips pressed against his like they were surgically attached. “Are you two cousins or some shit?”

“No--,” Nate began. Julio extricated himself quickly from his girlfriend.

“M’ijo, when you’re dancing with a pretty girl you don’t stand five feet away from her!” He exclaimed, putting a hand on both their backs and shoving them together before sweeping away with his girlfriend. 

Ella looked up at Nate, who was looking down at her, their bodies now pressed together. He could feel the rise of her chest as she inhaled deeply-- and had to remind himself to stop staring at her chest. She wasn’t wearing anything fancy, but the tank top she had on was skin tight and cut down low enough to be completely distracting from his vantage point.

“Won’t your parents mind us dancing like this?” He whispered. Ella rolled her eyes.

“They’re busy right now,” She pointed at her parents who were also grinding on each other. She shook her head and shrugged. “Though they probably would think it was strange if we didn’t dance… like this.”

“Okay. Weird. But okay,” Nate laughed, starting up the sideways step again. God damn it he could feel every roll of her hips while they were pressed together this way. He kept talking to distract himself. “I think my family would freak out if they saw me here.”

“Oh? Why?” Ella gave him a wide-eyed look.

“Because… this is all very different to what I grew up with, El,” He said, hoping it wouldn’t offend her. She smirked immediately, obviously not offended.

“I bet, prep school boy,” She teased. “You wanna try something fun?”

“...Like what?” He asked warily, wondering what fresh humiliation she was going to suggest now. 

“Relax, I won’t embarrass you anymore,” She assured him, feeling guilty. “...Are you having a good time, though? Honestly?”

“Oddly enough, even though at least half your family has felt me up in the past hour… yes,” He laughed. Ella giggled.

“Sorry about that.”

“No worries, I can’t blame them. I have a great ass.”

That made Ella throw her head back.

“Oh, if your parents could hear you now!” She laughed.

“So, what's that fun thing you were talking about?” He asked, leaning to whisper in her ear. A shiver ran down her spine.

“You could try spinning me,” She suggested. 

“Oh,” Nate tried not to sound too disappointed. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but if she wanted to be spun… “You mean like this?”

Quickly, he executed a perfect ballroom spin. She followed easily where he lead, but it was completely off time.

“Very nice, but not exactly,” She grimaced. She took his hands in his and put some space between them, still following the steps. 

“Don’t stop keeping time, Nate!” She warned before quickly maneuvering so that she gracefully turned, pulling his arms around her as she did so they were crossed over her midsection, hands still in hers. Her back pressed against him as they kept following time this way… and then she spun around.

“Very impressive,” He commented wryly. He could almost see her blush in the dim light as he put his hands back on her hips.

“You’re not as terrible at this as I thought you’d be,” She returned graciously. He rolled his eyes.

“Oh, yeah?” He began, but Serena suddenly appeared, Dan and Thalia following in her wake.

“So,” She began excitedly, “I say we go to primo Julio’s house!”

“What about the club?” Nate and Ella asked in unison, taking the opportunity to step back from each other.

“Well, he’s having a little getty, just the younger cousins, no kids and no parents… You guys could swing by for a second with me,” Thalia supplied. Ella gave her a look.

“And I’m sure Josh will be there, huh?” She asked, cocking an eyebrow. Thalia flushed a little. The upper east siders were struck again by how much the two sisters looked alike-- even their mannerisms were similar. How many times had Ella blushed the same way? Nate could think of hundreds of time… most of them around him… Huh. He felt a rush of satisfaction that he could affect her that way.  _ Though that obviously doesn’t matter. She works for you,  _ he reminded himself. The fuzzy feeling, however, still hadn’t left.  _ And she ran away when you tried to kiss her… _ Right. He held onto that thought, like pressing his thumb into a bruise.

“Ooh, who’s Josh?” Serena grabbed Thalia’s arm conspiratorially.

“Julio’s cousin, he and Thalia have been… You know...” Ella supplied, grinning at Thalia’s obvious discomfort.

“Ella!” Her sister exclaimed. “God, you’re so embarrassing! Listen, are you guys coming or not?”

“I vote yes,” Nate piped up unexpectedly. Ella looked over at him in surprise. He shrugged. “It’s only 10:30, we can stay half an hour and make it to Nikki’s On the Beach a little before midnight?”

“I mean, we could just not go to the club at all...” was Dan’s sly interjection.

Serena made a face at him. “We’re going to the club, babe. I’d make peace with that now if I were you.”

“Shit, well give me five minutes to change?” Ella asked. “S, the bathroom is down the hall if you brought your clothes.”

“They’re in the car, let me go get them.” Serena rushed off to grab her club outfit.

Ella spun on her heel to do the same, but then spun back.

“Are you going to change?” She asked her sister, eyes glinting.

Thalia frowned. “It’s just a block away, I don’t think that’s necessary…”

“But don’t you want to impress Josh?” Ella poked her sister in the side, grinning evilly. 

“Oh my god! How do you guys put up with her?” Thalia complained, slapping her sister’s hands away.

“A lot of patience…” Nate sighed heavily. Ella looked at him, mouth dropping open as she pretended to take him seriously.

“Wow! Okay!” She exclaimed indignantly. “I’m gonna go change now.”

\----- 

Coming out of her bedroom, Ella was intercepted by Serena as she exited the bathroom. Ella’s jaw almost hit the floor.

“Holy shit, you look hot,” She complimented the tall blonde, towering and shimmering in her New Year’s clubbing outfit. Serena, however, did not look half as impressed with Ella’s choice.

“Black? Again?” She asked crossing her arms. 

“Serena…” Ella whined. Thalia emerged from the bedroom to smirk.

“See, I told you it was boring,” She contributed. Ella turned around incredulously.

“But--  _ you’re _ wearing black!” She exclaimed.

“Yeah, but I’m not going clubbing,” She pointed out. She took her groaning sister by the hand. “Serena, help me wrestle her into something more exciting please.”

“Gladly!” Serena clapped her hands evilly. 

“Whatever happened to fashion being a form of self-expression?” Ella complained as they pulled her back into the room and sat her on the bed. 

“Fuck your version of self-expression,” Thalia dismissed her complaints. “You’re just afraid of color.”

“Oh, I like you,” Serena grinned. Ella groaned even louder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I was hard on Argentinians, but Primo Julio is based on a real person and he's a fucker who loves to remind me how loud I can be, so don't feel too bad! BTW... anyone interested in a Spectator playlist??? Yes? No? Maybe so?  
> 1\. Cesar Vazquez: "Ustedes..."
> 
> Translation: "You guys..." or "You all..."
> 
> 2\. Serena Van der Woodsen: "Solo un poquito." 
> 
> Translation: "Just a little bit."
> 
> 3\. Cesar Vazquez: "Wow, mira esos ojos--."
> 
> Translation: "Wow, look at those eyes--."
> 
> "No, pero estas guapisimo m'ijo."
> 
> Translation: "No, but you're very handsome, son." (Once again, m'ijo is the male version of m'ija and you don't have to be somebody's actual son or even that close to them for them to use it on you.)
> 
> "Quien dijo que yo estaba 'harassing' anyone?" 
> 
> Translation: "Who said I was 'harassing' anyone?" 
> 
> "Exactamente, see?"
> 
> Translation: "Exactly, see?" (Are you seeing what I mean when I say some of these are obvious?)
> 
> 4\. Yesenia Vazquez: "Si todos nosotros somos familia, no seas asi!" 
> 
> Translation: "All of us are family here, don't be like that!"
> 
> 5\. Primo Julio: "Oye, prima!" 
> 
> Translation: "Hey, cousin!" (This is the literal translation, but the implied meaning is more along the lines of "What's up, cuz?")
> 
> 6\. Ella Vazquez: "Que bolon, tiburon?"
> 
> Translation: "What's up?" (This is the implied meaning, but the literal translation is "What's flying, shark?" which just sounds ridiculous in English. This is a Cubanism, but it's a little outdated now. Still, it's a funny way to greet a close friend and I use it all the time.)
> 
> 7\. "Gringa/o"-- Non-Spanish speaking person.
> 
> 8\. "La rubia" or "El rubio"-- The blonde woman, blond man.


	18. Weekend at Primo Julio's

They left amidst a flurry of protests from Ella’s parents. Thalia, looking eaten up with guilt, promised they wouldn’t be back too late. Ella, now bedecked in the outfit Serena and Thalia had wrestled her into, just rolled her eyes, made a joke about how clingy they were and swept out of the house. Nate watched the alien exchange with fascination. He never spoke so freely with his parents, and even though the Vazquez interactions were tense sometimes, at the very least they were honest.

Thalia fell into step next to him as they walked out of the house, looking pensive.   
“So, she does the whole make-an-inappropriate-joke-to-fix-an-awkward-situation thing here at home, too, huh?” He commented to her. Ella was ahead of them with Serena and Dan, so there was no risk of her overhearing. Thalia cracked a smile.

“Yeah it’s her coping mechanism whenever Dad gets… how he gets,” She shrugged. Nate frowned.

“Stop me if I’m prying but… how does he get? He seemed fine,” Nate asked, trying his own version of the patented Ella Vazquez ‘listening face.’

“Well he has a lot of practice acting normal when he’s actually drunk off his ass,” Thalia chuckled bitterly. “He’s been behaving himself tonight, don’t get me wrong. Especially since there are people around, but he’s been drinking since this morning. Ella gets really annoyed about it.”

“...But you don’t?” He asked hesitantly. Thalia looked at him, studying his face.

“You’re a lot like Ella, you know that?” She smiled. “Always with the questions… but I guess that makes sense. You’re both journalists.”

Nate chuckled guiltily. “Sorry…”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I grew up with that crazy bitch you work with, I’m totally used to it,” Thalia reassured him with a roll of her eyes.

They both looked at the person in question, walking ahead of them. She’d changed out of her casual jeans and tank top into… another dress. He figured God was not on his side today, because she’d chosen a satin slip the color of deep ocean that clung to her every curve. And Ella… Ella had curves for days, the graceful line of her spine sinuously displayed by the backless dress. It was simple but unbearably sexy-- even if she was rocking it with flip flops right now, her heels in her purse.

Shit. Thalia was looking at him staring at her sister. His eyes snapped back to her. She smirked at him.

“What’s she like in New York?” She asked quietly, surprising him.

“Uh… I guess the same as she is here? Not quite so tipsy, but…” Nate smiled when Thalia laughed. “Do you miss her?”

“You can never tell her I said this but… yeah, I do,” Thalia smiled softly. “I’m glad you guys decided to swing by Julio’s house with me.”

“Me, too,” Nate agreed, “This is already among my top five New Years and we haven’t even gotten to your cousin’s house so…”

Thalia laughed again. “Oh, just wait! What we just left is a family party… This is going to be a little different.”

They’d traversed the one block’s distance while they were chatting and now Ella lead the way up Julio’s front walkway. It was another ranch-style home just like all the others, but the music was somehow even louder over here. Ella opened the unlocked front door.

“Oye primo! You want people to jack your shit, leaving the door open?” Ella called as she stepped inside. Julio, in the kitchen grabbing beers, turned around and narrowed his eyes at his “cousin.” 

“You know how you tell when a Cuban has arrived at a party?” He came over to them, directing his question to the three gringos.

“No, how?” Dan asked.

“Don’t worry about it, you can hear them coming from a mile away,” Julio grinned maliciously. Thalia smacked him in the arm as she passed him.

“See? I told you Argentinians are stuck up!” She exclaimed goodnaturedly before continuing out to the backyard.

“Right, harrumph harrumph, I’m very offended,” Ella rolled her eyes. “So where are the drinks and where are the drugs…”

“Drinks are in the kitchen and there will be a joint in rotation outside in five minutes. Joey’s rolling it,” Julio started walking back out. Ella was about to follow him, but then turned to her friends behind her in sudden realization.

“Wait… do you guys smoke? You don’t have to if you don’t want to, I just…”

The three of them cracked up at her wide-eyed expression.

“What?” She exclaimed, laughing self-consciously. 

“Serena and I engage in some recreational cannabis use from time to time,” Dan assured her loftily. “But I’d like to introduce you to King of the Basers, Nate Archibald.”

Ella looked at Nate’s reddened face in surprise.

“They’re exaggerating,” He shook his head.

“Don’t be so modest, she should have seen you in high school,” Serena delicately wiped at her eyes. She pinched Nate’s cheek. “You were such a little pothead.”

“Was he, now?” Ella smiled before turning to the man in question. “Well I’m just learning such fascinating things about you tonight, aren’t I?”

She fell into step next to him as they went to the kitchen. 

“Hey, this goes both ways!” He protested. “Apparently, I’m not the only pothead in the room…”

“How did Dan put it? I just engage in ‘recreational cannabis use from time to time,’” She grinned at him. “Nothing wrong with a joint every once in a while.”

She turned to start fixing herself a rum and coke. Nate busied himself finding a cup and some whisky for himself. But if his hands were busy, his mind was wandering. He could see Ella curled up on a bed… his bed… a freshly rolled joint pinched between her thumb and index finger, blowing delicate circles at him. 

God fucking damn it. He made his whiskey a double. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

“You know, I’ve never understood how people can just--,” Ella moved the joint she was holding so it was now primly enthroned between her index and middle finger. She took a drag and blew out an elegant stream of smoke. “Like, this feels so unnatural.”

“Quit camping on that, would you?” Julio complained. Ella pursed her mouth.

“With cousins like you, who needs enemies,” She muttered loudly, passing the joint to Nate. She settled back on the ragged couch they were both sitting on, her bare shoulder only millimeters away from his. She could feel him shake with a little chuckle at her comment and felt a rush of satisfaction, even as she continued her good natured bickering with her cousin.

“But how would adding more regulations help when we aren’t enforcing the regulations we already have?” Dan could be heard getting louder as he argued with Thalia in the corner near them. Serena took the joint from Nate and waved a hand at the debaters.

“Could you guys… not? Please?” She asked. 

“Yeah, Dan, could you not?” Thalia snarked, leaning comfortably against a young man she’d introduced to the upper east siders as Josh.  _ The _ Josh, apparently. Ella had behaved herself and hadn’t said anything to embarrass her sister… yet. But the night was still young. “I mean, with that kind of logic, why have any regulation? Let’s just let kids run around willy nilly with their AK-47’s--.”

“Josh!” Ella interjected suddenly, leaning forward to give her sister a pointed look before making eye contact with the startled young man. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been… good…”

“That’s nice, I’m glad,” Ella smiled sweetly. “Listen, could you kiss my sister or something? Or I don’t know, do anything, really, to stop the peanut gallery.”

Everyone in the circle cracked up-- even Thalia, red as she was. Josh grinned.

“I mean… sure…” He leaned to Thalia as though to follow Ella’s instructions. She smacked his arm good naturedly.

“Ignore my sister, for the love of god,” She told him. Ella slouched back against the sofa, shoulder brushing against Nate.

“See? That’s how you redirect a conversation in Miami, take notes,” She commented to him, lifting her red solo cup to her lips with a little flourish.

“Right, let me just get my pen and paper right here,” He mimed holding a notepad, poising his invisible pen over the page expectantly. “Have any more nuggets of wisdom for me?”

Ella screwed up her mouth holding back a smile. Her eyes flickered to his mouth for just a millisecond before refocusing on his eyes, looking up through her lashes. She looked decidedly chilled out.

“Well…” She began, clearly stalling for time to think, “Do you hear the music playing?”

“Uh, actually, I can hardly hear the music,” He admitted.

“Right-oh, Natie,” She snapped a finger gun at him. She then turned and looked pointedly at Julio, to say loudly, “I can’t actually hear the music either. Funny!”

“Ay! All you have to do is ask! I know you’re Cuban but even  _ you  _ have to realize you’re yelling!” Julio huffed, taking his cellphone out with a shake of his head. The volume of the music became noticeably louder.

Ella dismissed that comment with a wave of her hand.

“Gracias, primo…” She flashed a charming smile.

“You’re lucky I love you like a cousin even though we’re not related, because sometimes...” Julio pantomimed choking somebody.

“Wow. I guess I am lucky. Could you be more aggressive…?” Ella raised an eyebrow. Thalia’s attention had been distracted from Josh for a moment, laughing at the exchange between her sister and Julio.

She now spoke up: “He’s just pissed ‘cause I kicked his ass in the salsa-off last year and that means I’ve won twice in a row.”

Julio’s eyes flew to the younger Vazquez and narrowed.

“You won the salsa-off the day after it snowed, right?” He asked. “Because, somehow, I can’t remember either…”

“Well consider this me throwing down the gauntlet,  _ primo _ ,” She turned to Josh with a flutter of her lashes. “You wanna help me kick his ass?”

“Sure,” He grinned before calling to his actual blood cousin, Julio, “Sorry, cuz.”

“Fucking traitor…” Julio could be heard muttering under his breath as he considered who to partner with. He glanced at Ella briefly, who was the best dancer in the room next to him and closely tied with Thalia. Sure, she was a Vazquez and she tripped over her own feet sometimes but— He was jostled by his girlfriend crossing her arms, obviously upset that he even had to think about this. He turned to her immediately, “Yami, would you do me the honor?“

She smiled at him, satisfied. “Of course…”

The couples headed off to the open area of the patio by the pool where the big speakers were. 

“Well, that got very real very quickly,” Nate commented to Ella who had been amusedly observing the goings on. She turned to Nate now. Damn it he looked good, shirt unbuttoned to below his collar bone, the slight sheen of heat on the high points of his face. He’d gotten a tan at some point during his visit here in Miami, and it suited him wonderfully. He must have caught some sun while he was fishing… here in Miami. Three days ago. When she didn’t know he was here. 

Her expression soured.

“How was Christmas, Nate?” She asked, tilting her face. She was trying for her best casual listening face but there was a tightness around her mouth she couldn’t loosen up. Nevertheless, he was going to explain all the secrecy  _ right now _ . 

“Christmas was fine,” He replied. Serena, ‘accidentally’ overhearing, suddenly perked up. Ella was asking Nate about his Christmas. And she looked upset. She was about to start asking him questions, and since Serena hadn’t informed Nate of the terrible Christmas she’d alleged he spent with his relatives, he might inadvertently reveal that she had lied. Sounded like it was time to get out of Dodge.

“Hey baby, wanna…” She tilted her head towards the dance floor. 

“Do we have to…” He made a face. She pouted back.

“Damn it, fine. You’re lucky you’re gorgeous,” He kissed her. She smiled happily as he complied with her request. Now she wouldn’t catch any immediate fall out from Miss Vazquez. 

“How was yours?” Nate followed up, eyes softening. Ella didn’t know why he asked it like that, like he was… sympathetic. Her brow furrowed just a touch in confusion, the tightness around her mouth loosening.

“It was good… I was happy to see my family,” she answered, not sure what else to say. 

“I’m glad I let you take the week off then,” He smiled. He knew a little something about stressful families and the forced interactions on holidays were often more of a curse than a blessing.

“How did you end up in Miami?” Ella asked abruptly, discarding the listening face and the rest of her patience at the reminder of how she almost hadn’t had this vacation because of him-- and then how he decided to show up to said vacation. It was too easy to get off track with Nate. Like now, for instance, when all she wanted to do was investigate the sympathetic face. What did he have to sympathize with her for? She’d figure it out later.

Nate looked a little surprised by this turn in the conversation, but then resignation fell over him. He figured she would ask about this eventually. He just hadn’t gotten around to thinking of a good excuse

“Serena and Dan told me they were coming so I…” He fished around his head for a reason… Fished. Hm. Maybe.... “I just figured it would be a good excuse to go deep sea fishing. It’s outrageous this time of year.”

“Right. Outrageous,” Ella agreed dryly. 

“Are you angry I came?” He asked, his brow furrowing and his eyes suddenly very serious. “I told Dan and Serena I was happy just staying at the hotel room…”

Ella frowned at that face that was  _ so hard to say pissed at _ and then out where Serena was innocently dancing with Dan, before exhaling a frustrated huff.

“Of course I’m not angry you came!” She exclaimed. “I wish you would have shot me a text or something but, you know, whatever…”

She trailed off with a little cross of her arms. Nate sighed.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Ella looked at him, a little surprised by how quickly she’d gotten an apology out of him. 

“I don’t really have a good reason for not texting you… I just… I felt weird about it,” he scratched his head and gave her what she knew was his patented puppy dog face. Ella was not the only one with a secret weapon-- this was how Nate landed so many girls. He just gave him that  _ look _ , mouth remorseful but eyes smoldering with hope. He used it on everybody. Pretty effective though, she had to say.

She breathed out through her nose. “Of course it's not weird… I mean, we’re friends, aren’t we?”

The comment and the eye contact she made seemed very innocent, but Nate knew it was deliberate. She always snuck in that punishing last word.

“Yeah, we’re friends,” He said it as sincerely as he could. She must have put on eyeliner before leaving her parent’s house, because her eyes looked more cat-like than ever, narrowed at him. She broke the binding gaze with a glance down at her phone.

“It’s going to be eleven soon, you should probably call the car around…  _ pal _ ,” She suggested, trying out a friendly moniker with as much venom on her lips as possible. Nate pursed his mouth. She gave him a saccharine smile.

“Your issue is you think you’re cute,” He sighed, standing from his seat. Ella smirked at him.

“ _ Think _ I’m cute? I know I’m cute, Archibald,” She took the hand he offered her and stood. Stupidly, her heart stuttered when they touched.  _ Stop that!  _ She instructed the wayward organ. But Ella knew deep down that she wasn’t stupid for losing her cool, considering how Nate looked down at her. It sure  _ looked _ like he wanted things from her that the term ‘friends’ just didn’t cover. He let go of her hand quickly and turned to call the driver.


	19. Chauffeurs and What To Do With Yours

The driver, having been jamming to his favorite throwback station, was in the middle of the best air-sax solo of his life when a very attractive woman in her early 50’s rapped on the window of the limousine. He quickly turned down the volume on George Michael and rolled back the window.

“Buenas,” She smiled kindly. 

“Buenas… do you want me to move the car?” He offered.

“Oh, no, no-- I just saw you sitting out here and I was wondering... Would you like some cafecito? Or water? Actually… we have food inside and you can come help yourself, si quieres.”

She looked at him expectantly. It was a look he knew well, the same look his own mother gave him when it was time to eat and she wouldn’t be accepting no as an answer.

“If it’s no trouble…,” He smiled, turning the car off. She grinned as he stepped out of the car.

“I thought you looked hungry,” She shook her head. “Bueno, let’s go inside and grab you a plate—.”

The driver’s cell phone began to ring. It was his client, the tall blonde guy. One of those famous Vanderbilt types. He picked it up hastily.

“Yes, sir?”

“Hey, Sergio, could you swing by to pick us up?”

“Sure, boss, just give me the address,” The driver put him on speaker to put the address in his GPS. Only a block away. He looked at the kind woman with sadness in his eyes. “I’ve got to go…”

“Just hold on one second!” She told him, turning to jog into the house. He could hear her calling: “Cesar! Put together a plate para el pobre chauffeur!”

——————-

The driver picked up the four friends, plates of food and cake stacked next to him. He’d quickly thrown down the shot of cafecito the woman had offered him before heading over.

Ella noticed the brightly colored paper plates stacked in the passenger seat with an amused smile.

“Is that food from my parent’s house?” She asked, leaning forward.

“Oh, are you Ella?” The chauffeur asked, looking at her with some recognition now. “Your mom was telling me I’d be driving you when she came out to bring me food…”

“That sounds like my mom… Wait, she brought it out to you? You could have just gotten down and joined the party, you know.”

“Erm, well, I don’t think I’m really supposed to...” Sergio shifted uncomfortably.

Ella frowned, before turning to Nate. “Is that how private chauffeurs work? They just sit around waiting for you in the car?”

“Well, he’s a rental while we’re in Miami,” He began, “But yeah, basically.”

“Huh,” Her frown deepened. The upper east siders exchanged awkward glances. “We’re going to be at the club for such a long time, though… Why doesn’t Sergio come down with us after he parks? You can get them to let him in, can’t you Serena? Nikki’s has a restaurant and a sports bar…” She turned to Sergio and wagged an eyebrow, “I mean, you can’t get drunk but you can at least watch the countdown!”

Serena hesitated for a moment, but there wasn’t really a reason Sergio had to stay with the car and they  _ were _ going to be there for a while…

“Sure, why not?” She grinned, “You want to watch the countdown, Sergio?”

“Hell, yeah!” Sergio grinned. He couldn’t believe his luck. He got them to the club like a bolt of lightning— Nate decided to ignore the blatant speeding because it seemed this was just the way people got around in Miami. The club was pulsing with music.

Serena lead the way, leaving Sergio’s name with the doorman. The man looked a little surprised but jotted him down. Anything for Ms. Van der Woodsen.

“Mrs. Humphrey,” Dan muttered under his breath. Serena kissed him and dragged him into the club. Nate and Ella followed. He watched her face light up as she took in the scene. This was not Club Space or any of those dirty teenybopper infested warehouses in downtown. It was a mostly outdoor establishment right on the water, filled with people dancing, drinking and generally having a good time. Ella wandered deeper in, but lost sight of Serena and Dan.

Nate pushed forward and grabbed her wrist.

“I can see them, they’re in the VIP section,” He yelled, pulling her along. His hand slid from her wrist to her hand. It was brief, just him keeping hold of her while they cut through the thick crowd. Ella could feel the bass in her chest and was relieved when they made it to the slightly quieter VIP section.

Serena handed out ice cold water bottles.

“We need to hydrate! We have a long night still ahead of us… Cheers!” She raised her bottle. The other three followed suit. “To Miami!”

“To Miami!” They exclaimed and chugged their water.

“What time is it?” Dan asked when a complimentary bottle of rum arrived at their table. Nate started pouring out shots.

“It’s 11:45!” Ella answered, before addressing Nate’s current activity. “More shots?”

“I’m twice your size,” He reminded her. “Just because  _ you’re _ drunk doesn’t mean—.”

“I am not drunk! A couple of Coronas and a shot of rum does not a drunk Ella make,” She wagged her finger comically before taking a shot glass and throwing it back.

“Living dangerously, aren’t we? Are you sure you can handle that?” Nate teased, grabbing his own shot glass. Ella rolled her eyes and turned to their friends.

“We should dance,” She announced.

“More dancing…” Dan grumbled. “My favorite.”

“Oh quit whining,” Unceremoniously, Ella stood and headed for the floor. Nate watched her walking away from him for a brief moment before downing his rum. 

“It’s a club. You have to dance,” He told Dan simply before taking off after Ella. Dan and Serena exchanged a look.

“Those two...” He trailed off.

“Yeah, well. We’re not allowed to meddle, remember?” Serena stood and took his hand, hauling him up out of his seat. “Come on, handsome. I want to see your best electric slide tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yesenia Vazquez and the Private Chauffeur: 
> 
> 1\. "Buenas."
> 
> Abbreviation of "Good evening."
> 
> 2\. "Cafecito"
> 
> Diminutive of "Coffee."
> 
> 3\. "Si quieres." 
> 
> "If you want."
> 
> 4\. "Bueno..." 
> 
> "Well..."
> 
> 5\. "...para el pobre chauffeur!"
> 
> "...for the poor chauffeur!"


	20. New Years By the Beach

Maybe it was because he was drunk and high, but watching Ella dance was turning out to be quite the experience. Serena and Dan were right there with them so the four of them were dancing in a loose semblance of a circle. The press of people on all sides soon rendered that impossible, though and the married couple moved closer to each other, leaving Nate and Ella shuffled off to the side together. 

The space was illuminated only by multicolored lights flashing to the beat. Ella came in and out of his sight in pulses. Her hips kept moving in that way he found so impossible, the satin of her dress pulling across her breasts and hips— god, she was going to kill him. Her eyes were shut most of the time, like she was lost in the music, but then they flickered open. He was caught, eyes unmistakably lingering on her chest. 

He tried to play it off, looking away into the crowd, but she’d seen. She’d felt his eyes on her and now he felt hers on him. She moved closer and he snuck a glance at her. She was looking down at their feet, her hands reaching for his chest. Casual, so casual, and he figured this was a normal transition. Dan and Serena were busy, of course they would dance together. Her hands were warm through his shirt and she was so much closer now. She looked up at him, hands sliding up his shoulders. He could smell her perfume from this distance, and his hands moved of their own accord, settling on a gentlemanly spot on the small of her back—

“Good evening everyone!” A woman’s voice broke through the music, which faded down to a quiet hum. “We will be starting our New Year’s Countdown in a matter of moments. VIP members, this is your chance to go back to your table and enjoy a complimentary bottle of champagne!”

They moved away from each other like they were waking up from a dream, breathing heavily.

“Come on,” She said quickly, grabbing his hand. “Let’s go back to the table.”

She held it as they wove through the crowd, letting go when they got do their booth in the VIP section. Dan and Serena were already there. They sat inches apart from each other while Serena distributed flutes of champagne to toast. 

Dan raised his glass. “Ahem, ahem. I have something I would like to say.”

Amidst laughter, he stood. 

“Everyone here right now is like family to me. Except for Serena. Who is literally my family,” Dan paused for a laugh from his audience. He was faced with a general rolling of eyes.

“And this is why we don’t let you do speeches…” Ella muttered. Dan turned to her.

“Listen, you little upstart,” He began with a grin. “I know I was hesitant at first, but Nate made the right decision hiring you.”

“Gee, thanks!”

Dan continued unhurriedly. “And Nate, I’d recite O’ Captain, my captain if we had the time, but suffice to say-- you’ve made the Spectator the success it is.” 

Nate smiled and shook his head.

“I couldn’t have done it without my team.”

Tension aside, Ella couldn’t help but smile at him. Always so humble.

“You know what?” Serena suddenly exclaimed, pulling out her phone. She tapped into facetime. 

“Who are you calling?” Ella asked, peering over her shoulder.

“Who do you think?” She replied. The line began to ring until the faces of Blair and Chuck appeared. They looked fabulous.

“S! I was just about to call you!” Blair laughed, peering at the group of people waving back at her.

“We’re at Nikki’s on the Beach--”

“Excellent choice,” Chuck interjected.

“Thanks,” Serena smiled. “They’re about to start the countdown and we just wanted to call you--”

The woman’s voice from earlier rang out again. “Everyone get your glasses of bubbly ready! 10!”

A countdown was projected on a screen and a dazzling disco ball was lowered from the ceiling. Everyone in the club shrieked excitedly.

“Ah! Here we go you guys!” Serena exclaimed to Blair and Chuck. A countdown could be heard commencing on their end as well. 

“...9! ...8! ...7!... 6!... 5!... 4!... 3!... 2! …1! Happy New Year!”

The club erupted in cheers. Champagne was downed and the couples turned to kiss each other in celebration of this new beginning. Ella and Nate sipped their champagne a little more slowly, glancing at each other from the corners of their eyes. Ella gulped her champagne faster.

“Anyway, we love you guys!” Serena shouted at the phone over the din. “Enjoy your New Years!”

“Love you!” They called back before the line went dead.

“Before you even start complaining, yes there will be more dancing,” Serena warned Dan. “Right after we do more shots!”

“Woah, water first!” Dan exclaimed.

“I’m good on the shots for now…” Ella shook her head. Jesus, she’d thought she could drink most people under the table but Serena had the tolerance of a horse. The blonde raised an eyebrow at all of them.

“Amateurs,” She scoffed, grabbing a water bottle and chugging some. She turned to Ella and Nate, eyes slitted dreamily. Maybe the drugs and alcohol had affected her more than she was letting on. In any case, she looked perfectly content lounging against Dan. “Where did you guys disappear to before?”

Ella and Nate looked at each other. Nate shrugged.

“Just dancing, we couldn’t find you guys in the crowd after a while,” He looked at Serena opening her mouth to reply and just knew she was going to ask to stick together this time. So he quickly stood. “Speaking of which… madame?”

He extended a hand playfully to Ella. She looked up at him in surprise. He wanted to keep dancing? She smiled. By all means, then…

“Good sir,” She took his hand and stood. They let go of each other as they exited their little section. 

“Meet us back here at 2!” Dan called. He shook his head as they disappeared on to the dance floor. “You think they’re up to something?”

“Out there?” Serena looked at the crowd of people bumping and grinding to the music. “Obviously.”

\------------------------------

Ella played it safe at first. Nate was keeping his distance again and she didn’t feel like being the one throwing herself at him. But the dance floor was packed and they were pushed together ever closer. Just inches from each other, she could feel him looking at her dancing even when she closed her eyes. Her skin tingled with that knowledge and she figured she might as well give him a show if he was looking.

The heat and the music and her hips in that dress… he tried not to look but he couldn’t stop himself. And she… she turned her gaze on him, dark and cat like, making him wonder what her curves felt like through the satin of her dress. He swayed closer. She rocked towards him. Their hands bumped. They fell apart.They bumped again and this time, he caught her in his grip. Their fingers twined and they didn’t stop moving. 

It suddenly seemed so silly, this distance between them. They were just dancing, weren’t they? Couples all around them were doing way more outrageous things. The way Ella pressed up to him now, torsos flush, was so tame in comparison.

Her hands found his collar and smoothed over his broad shoulders. His eyes were so blue she couldn’t look at them for very long without feeling her face heat up. She pressed closer to escape his eyes. His hands found their way to her hips. They moved in sexy little S shapes in his grip. His grip tightened and pulled her closer. She could feel the heat of him pressed to her and fisted her hands in his shirt because this still didn’t feel close enough. 

When she turned around, it didn’t register immediately just what a significant line was being crossed. Then, it became glaringly obvious as the movement of her hips pressed her ass to his belt buckle. She did filthy things with said ass, growing bolder the longer he let this happen. She could feel him panting on her neck and she reached a hand back into his hair, letting him know he could stay this close to her if he wanted.

He wanted. He definitely wanted. He wanted to so badly that when she turned around to face him again, he kissed her. He was hating himself even as he did it. And not because he knew it was unethical— though it really, really was-- but he was only really afraid she wouldn’t kiss him back and run off like last time, fating him to keep living with this unrequited sexual tension.

Except she did. Fuck, did she kiss him back. She tasted very different this go round. The last tiny taste he’d had of her had been of coffee and butter. She tasted like rum now, as she let the tips of their tongues touch. She was pressed so close to him, holding onto his shoulders while his hands slid down her back. Feeling the shape of her through that satiny soft fabric was doing nothing to calm him down. He felt the vibration of a moan on her lips when he squeezed her ass. So, she liked that. How convenient for him, he thought.

He kept waiting for her to pull away, to say no, but she never did. She kept pushing forward. There was a desperation deep in her chest as she kissed him, not knowing if she would ever get to do this again. It drove her closer, urged her to sink her nails into the muscles of his shoulders, twine her fingers in his hair, kiss him like she’d never kissed anyone before. Fuck. She turned around to let him push against her. 

All in the guise of dancing, she knew that this was just foreplay as he held her close, arms wrapping around her midsection possessively so she bowed against him. They were showing each other what a round in bed might look like. So far, it was looking impressive. 

Foreplay. Somewhere beyond the haze they were trapped in, a part of Nate was screaming that this was  _ not _ foreplay. It was just dancing. Very inappropriate dancing, but that didn’t mean this was going to lead to sex. No sex. No… Sex… She was doing that thing with her hips again, grinding against him and all thought flew out of his head. He spun her around to break the contact. 

“Ella…” She could see him saying her name, even if she couldn’t hear it over the music. She smirked up at him.

“Nate…” She said back before reaching for his lips. He groaned as they started making out again. Fuck, they had to stop-- She bit down on his lower lip, like she could sense his hesitancy. She pulled back with a little smile, looking into his eyes to gauge his reaction. Was he still hesitant?

“Come on,” He grabbed her hand and started pushing through the crowd. She followed, stumbling on her heels. He wrapped an arm around her waist to stabilize her and practically carried her the rest of the way. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he’d been to plenty of clubs and there had to be a secluded corner somewhere…

He pulled her into the hallway by the bathroom. Not exactly secluded, but he didn’t give a shit anymore. He pushed her up against the wall and kissed her again. He pulled back to look at her. Ella stared up at him through hooded eyes, gripping him by the collar of his shirt to pull herself close. 

She traced a question on his lips with her tongue. He shuddered, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He pressed into her again and again when they kissed, like he might just fuck her right there against the wall. It was the best way he knew to answer her.


	21. Casa Casuawhata?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle in, kids. This might be the longest chapter in this whole story.

Suffice to say, the ride back to the hotel on South Beach was quiet. Dan was tuckered out, sleeping with his head on Serena’s chest. Ella would have laughed. Except, you know, she’d just made out with Nate Archibald. 

Her thoughts were racing as she maintained a polite distance from him. Her mind continued supplying the usual bullshit about how wrong all of this was and how she should just go home before anything even more stupid happened. There was another part of her, however, which she’d been forcing down for a long time now that had suddenly gotten very loud. It wasn’t exactly the rational part of her. It just kept bringing up a slideshow of how Nate looked when he was turned on, pupils blown wide, mouth slightly opened. It also helpfully reminded her of how he sounded panting against her neck and how it felt when his hands squeezed her hips.  _ You should have sex with him. Right now. _ The voice suggested. 

Stupid emotional side of the brain. They were in a limousine, they couldn’t have sex right now!  _ Then do it at the hotel. I can wait. _ How thoughtful. Ella looked at Nate, thinking maybe he was looking as panicked as she felt. He was staring back at her. They both jumped a little at the unexpected eye contact. Serena gave them a strange look, but didn’t say anything. She was too tired for their nonsense right now.

“Have a nice night everybody!” Sergio flashed them a grin as he opened their door. Ella’s jaw dropped when she took in the hotel.

“You guys have been staying at the Versace Mansion? Seriously?” She asked, mustering a little energy to be surprised.

“It was Serena’s idea…” Nate explained.

“You mean Casa Casuarina? Versace sold this years ago,” Serena dismissed. “I figured, when in Miami…”

Ella had no idea how the logic followed that staying in Miami equated to staying at the Versace mansion, but she shrugged as she followed them into the lobby. She looked up at the frescoed ceilings in awe.

“Might want to shut your mouth or they’ll know you’re a plebe,” The now conscious Dan teased tiredly. “So, what’s the plan?”

“The plan?” Nate and Ella asked in unison. Dan and Serena raised their eyebrows at them.

“Yeah, for Ella… Are you staying here or coming back in the morning to hit up the pool?” Serena asked.

“Staying here?” Ella swallowed. 

“Yeah, Dan and Nate could share a room, we could take the other…”

Seeing Dan’s face contort at that suggestion, Ella rapidly shook her head.

“Oh, no, it’s okay, I’ll head home and come back tomorrow.”

Dan mouthed a thank you. 

“Okay, we’ll order a cab for you then,” Serena pulled out her cellphone. Nate stopped her.

“Why don’t you guys go up to bed? Dan’s dead on his feet,” he laughed.

“I’m fine!” Dan protested weakly. Serena shook her head, letting him lean on her.

“Seriously, I’ll wait with her until the cab comes. Don’t worry about it,” Nate insisted.

“Well. He’s getting heavy so alright, then. Come here you two!” She wrapped them both in a hug, not noticing how they tensed when they came in contact with each other. “Happy new year my loves. I’ll be seeing you tomorrow!”

She lead Dan onto the elevator. When the gilded doors shut, Ella and Nate looked at each other. Ella rubbed at the bridge of her nose, just to break the eye contact.

“God damn it, my head hurts…”

“Told you you shouldn’t drink so much,” He chuckled. He opened his mouth to say something else, but then closed it.

“...What?” She asked. Nate was struck by how beautiful her eyes were, opened wide like that.

“Just… I have some pills in my room if you want some.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. Damn it, he sounded so stupid. Her eyes flashed to his. It was a lame excuse but she wasn’t going to nit pick.

“Sure,” She agreed casually, making a show of scrunching up her face in pain. They walked to the elevator. An uncomfortable silence threatened to fall over them so she piped up, saying the safest thing that was on her mind. “So Serena not only failed to mention you were in town but also that you guys were staying at the Versace Mansion…I don’t know how to feel about that.”

She shook her head and crossed her arms. Nate looked at her, checking to see if she looked angry again. She just looked resigned.

“She’s like that,” He shrugged, ignoring the barb she’d snuck in there for him. The elevator doors opened and they stepped in. “She just kind of… does things and you have to do your best to keep up.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed. Oh, well. This place is gorgeous,” Ella confided in him quietly, eyes traveling up the mirrored elevator walls. Nate smiled amusedly.

“It’s a little too much for me, but I don’t necessarily have the best taste,” He admitted. They were standing next to each other. Ella cracked a smile at him.

“Let me guess, you would have stayed at a hunting lodge if you could. Or on a boat.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. She had him pegged, but he would never admit that. 

“How do you manage to stay sassy at three in the morning? Jesus.”

The elevator doors opened again on Nate’s floor. If she’d had more energy, she would have bounced out with another sassy remark. As it was, she trudged after Nate and barely managed a smirk.

“It’s a gift from god, what can I say…” She limped slowly after him, feeling her heels cutting into her. She hissed as she nearly tripped.

“Woah,” Nate caught her. “Is it your shoes?”

“Yeah,” She gripped his arm to keep marching along. 

“You could take them off…” He suggested. She gave him a look.

“Do you know what a ‘pata sucia’ is?” She asked him.

“Obviously not.”

“Well, I’m not one of those so I will be taking my shoes off once we arrive safely at your hotel room, thank you,” She said loftily, making him chuckle. Jesus he was tired. So was she by the look of her face. Still, it woke him up a little again to feel her lean on him as they arrived at his hotel room. He swiped his key card and opened the door for her. She dropped a little curtsy, winced when she realized that was a bad idea, and headed inside.

“Nice,” He heard her say appreciatively when he flicked on the lights. He looked at his room. 

“It is,” He agreed, looking around for what felt like the first time. He hadn’t really stopped to notice how nice the room was until now, but Ella’s expression of appreciation was contagious. She’d enthroned herself on the couch in the little sitting area to take off her shoes. He looked away as she flexed her ankles, walking into the bedroom. He walked back in, bearing an assortment of items he knew were going to make her smile. “So, you could take a Tylenol, or…”

He unfurled a hand in front of her. She peered at its contents… and grinned. 

“I vote second option!”

“That’s what I figured you’d say,” He smiled. He sat down cross-legged in front of the coffee table to start rolling a joint. She joined him on the floor, watching his hands move with practiced grace. 

“You really are a pothead, huh?” She laughed.

“Not so much anymore, but all bets are off when I’m on vacation,” He replied.

“I think I’m just going to take an uber home when we’re done,” She said suddenly. He glanced up at her before returning to the task at hand.

“You could just stay here, if you want,” He offered casually. “I know you only said you’d go home so you wouldn’t cockblock Dan.”

“I couldn’t do it to him, he looked so sad,” Ella laughed. “...Are you sure I won’t be a nuisance?”

Nate gave her a look.  _ When have you ever been a nuisance to me _ ? it said. He’d be damned if he said it out loud, though.

“I’ll take the couch, it’ll be fine,” He assured her. It was her turn to give him a look.  _ You’ll take the couch. Sure.  _ She eyed the large, comfortable looking sofa.

“I mean,  _ I _ could take the couch. I don’t want to kick you out of your own bed…” She kept dodging.

“Ella,” Nate looked her dead in the eyes. “It would make me deeply uncomfortable for you to take the couch while I sleep in the bed. Please.”

Ella couldn’t help but smile. 

“White knight complex,” She coughed into her fist. He made a face at her. She cleared her throat, a smirk twisting her mouth. “Oh, sorry, I just… I think I must be allergic to your noble steed or something…”

“Well, the steed stays. You…” Nate shook his head, holding back a smile. “Are just going to have to get over it.”

There was a moment’s silence.

“If I’m going to be staying here,” Ella spoke up again. “Do you mind if I go shower?”

“What? Of course I mind!” Nate exclaimed. “A shower? Why would I let you do that completely basic thing?”

Ella narrowed her eyes at him. He smirked back.

“I’m going to go shower now. Thanks.” She stood up.

“There will be a freshly rolled joint waiting for you when you’re finished,” He called after her.

“That’s what I like to hear!” She called back before closing the bathroom door.

\------------------

Ella faced a little dilemma about ten minutes later, scrubbed clean of make up and grime. She didn’t have any clothes to sleep in. Wrapping herself up tight in a towel, she poked her head out of the bathroom.

“Um, Nate?” She called.

“Yes?”

“I don’t suppose there are any complimentary Versace pajamas lying around…”

From where he was seated on the couch, Nate rolled his eyes. He got up to go to the bedroom.

“Is this your way of asking for clothes to sleep in?” He asked loudly.

“What?” She thought he’d said something but couldn’t hear him. He walked up to the bathroom holding a t-shirt and gym shorts, not unlike the ones he was wearing.

“I said, is this your way of asking for clothes to sleep in?” He smiled. She looked up at him, brown eyes huge and her teeth worrying her lower lip in embarrassment.

“Yes…”

“Then here you go,” He offered her the clothes. She smiled.

“Thanks Nate,” The door closed again. When she emerged, he almost laughed. Well. He did laugh. He couldn’t help it.

“What are you laughing at?” Ella stuck her nose in the air.

“I didn’t realize they’d be so big on you,” He chuckled. She settled next to him, swamped in soft fabric.

“Yeah, well, whatever!” She huffed. She then looked at the coffee table, finally noticing. “Orange juice?”

“I figured, as a fellow pothead, you would appreciate it,” He smiled, leaning forward to grab the joint. “You get greens to help with that headache.”

“Wow. Ten out of ten would smoke with again,” Ella lit up. It only took a second to get it to cherry evenly. She took a deep drag and then held it to eye level, inspecting it. “You did a good job with this too. That’s a beautiful seam.”

“What can I say, I strive to please,” He took it when she passed. Her attention turned to the television for the first time.

“What are we watching?” She asked, a little surprised.

“ _ It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia _ ,” He answered. She looked over at him approvingly.

“Huh. I wouldn’t have figured…” 

He shrugged.

“I like a good laugh, you know this,” He smiled a little. 

“This is one of my favorite shows,” She said softly, slouching a little towards him. She felt so tired. And turned on. But mostly tired and it was only getting worse as they passed the joint back and forth. Eventually, amidst a halfway coherent discussion about how the actors on It’s Always Sunny just looked worse every new season of the show, she leaned her head on his shoulder. For some reason, actually touching him was harder now than it had been at the club. That was dancing for you. He shifted at her touch. 

“Come here, you look exhausted.” He opened up his arm so she could lean on his chest, his arm around her shoulders.

Fuck that felt nice. He was comfortable and warm. She could hear the sound of his heart beating in his chest. It was fast at first, then steady. She breathed deeply listening to it. This might never happen again. She had to enjoy it.

He soon put his other arm around her as well. He leaned back into the sofa, letting her curl up on him while he… held her. He had no explanation for this. He was too tired to think about it and it felt too nice to stop. Her breathing was so steady, too. It didn’t take long before his vision started blurring and sleep finally pulled them under.

——————————-

When Ella woke up, she was in bed. Not her bed, though. A very different bed, bedecked in gold and black. Right. She was in the Versace Mansion. With Nate. Jesus Christ.

She sat up. The bed was empty and perfectly made on the other side. The French doors dividing the sitting room from the bedroom were closed. She rolled out of bed and opened one. Empty as well. She headed for the bathroom— she really had to pee!— and was relieved to find that it was also empty. 

Business taken care of, she washed her hands and gave herself a little inspection. She’d taken off her make up to the best of her ability last night, but some eyeliner remained smudged at the roots of her lashes. God damn it. She grabbed a tissue paper and wiped at it so she no longer looked like a raccoon. Geez, and there was her breath. But if there is one thing the Versace Mansion had, it was complimentary toothbrushes. She cleaned out her mouth thoroughly. There. Crisis averted.

She heard the door to the hotel room open and rushed out of the bathroom. She caught Nate a few feet from the door, holding a crisp white shopping bag. He looked like he’d been caught stealing something.

“Good morning,” Ella greeted him. “What’s that?”

“Nothing— Uh, I mean… this is for you,” He held it out to her quickly. He hadn’t done anything wrong, he reminded himself. She peered inside and lifted out… a white bikini top. She frowned and fished inside the bag again. A matching pair of bottoms. And beneath it all… A white sundress and flip flops.

She looked at Nate, astounded.

“Did you buy all of this for me?” She half-shrieked.

“...Yes? Yes I did?” He replied sheepishly.

“That’s my line,” She growled, but he saw her holding back a smile as she admired the clothes. “How did you know my size?”

She didn’t know what answer she was expecting, but he just shrugged.

“The tags on your clothes,” He gestured to the pile of satin she’d left on the armchair last night. Oh, right. She flushed. He’d been having a debate with himself all morning. And then, somehow, he ended up buying her an outfit change. He’d been walking down the ocean front street, walking by hotels, restaurants and shops when he’d seen this exact ensemble in a window display. He’d remembered how she didn’t have anything to wear to the pool later. And he also just kind of wanted to see her in it/her reaction to receiving this as a gift. Looking at her blushing, he was satisfied to know it had been worth it. “But, uh, Ella. I’ve got a question...”

“Let’s hear it.”

“...Were you fixing yourself up for me?” He asked, eyes so soft.

The subtle pink turned fluorescent. She avoided eye contact while he stepped forward. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” She bit her lip.

“Were you fixing yourself up for me just now in the bathroom.” He came to a stop right in front of her. She couldn’t stop herself from looking up into his dangerously blue eyes. They were both breathing fast.

“Yes. Yes I was,” She confessed in a whisper. He was so close and his eyes were on her mouth now. “We’re not going to the pool right now are we?”

His eyes flicked back up to her own.

“No, that’s later… so I was thinking, uh, we could watch some TV or get some breakfast…” He trailed off, his eyes flickering back to her mouth as her tongue darted out to lick her dry lips.

“Right,” She seemed to consider this for a moment before shrugging. “Or we could do this instead—.”

Dropping the bag on the floor, she reached up and kissed him. He seemed frozen for a moment and she dropped back onto her heels, eyes wide. He stared at her— and then put his hands on either side of her face as he pulled her back to him.

She gasped when he kissed her back. She was so used to their routine-- get close, pull away, ignore each other for a week, etc.-- that she almost expected something to stop them. But no, here they were. And there it was, that sensation of  _ release _ as he slanted his mouth over hers. She opened up for him, letting his tongue touch hers. 

Minty. She’d brushed her teeth. Good. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and put his hands on her hips.

“Good morning,” He released her mouth with a murmur, squeezing on her hips. She smiled and kissed him again, not wanting to be released quite yet and standing on her tiptoes to pull herself flush against him. She buried her hands in his hair, letting her tongue slip between his lips. He dropped his hands to her ass. The gym shorts really didn’t do her justice. He slid his hand under the waistband to get a better feel and discovered something very interesting— no underwear. She pulled back a little, looking sheepish.

“Honestly...I thought we were going to have sex last night, so I didn’t, you know…” She muttered. He raised his eyebrows at her.

“Well, fuck.” Obviously approving of the choice, he reached his hands further down the shorts to grip both cheeks. He lifted and spread them apart before letting them fall back together. Ella held back a gasp. She kissed him, open mouthed and sloppy, while he kept groping her. She moved her mouth to his neck, biting down gently and sucking. Not too hard. No hickeys. Just enough to raise goosebumps on his skin. She felt him wrap his arms around her and squeeze, reaching a hand into her hair to yank her head back. “If I’d only known…”

The murmur and the dark expression on his face sent a shiver down her spine. She looked up at him and smiled.

“You should take off your shirt,” She suggested. He loosened his grip on her hair and stepped back. He pulled off his shirt. She stopped her jaw from hitting the floor—  _ fuck he’s hot _ . He looked at her expectantly. When she tilted her head innocently, he crossed his arms.

“I showed you mine…”

“Right,” She smiled playfully. She lifted the hem of her shirt, taking a good moment to make eye contact with him and bite her lip, before pulling it over her head. Ah. No bra either. Everything was coming up aces for him this morning.

He stepped forward, running two caressing hands up her back as he pulled her close. She could feel her nipples harden against his chest and the goosebumps he was leaving in the wake of his fingertips all up and down her spine. Kissing her, he put his tongue in her mouth. 

Her hands were wandering down to his waist band now. She played with it, putting her finger tips under the fabric and then readjusting. He felt her probing fingers caress at the sensitive skin on his hips. She then reached a hand between them and traced a line down the bulge in his jeans. He groaned into her mouth. She cupped him, sucking on his lower lip in hopes of eliciting another moan from him. He sank a hand down her shorts and reached a finger into the wetness pooling at the apex of her legs.

“You’re hard,” She commented breathlessly as he kissed her neck. He dipped his fingers a bit deeper, pushing at the tight little opening.

“You’re wet,” He returned. “Really wet.”

She gasped when he slid a finger inside. She rolled onto her tiptoes, leaning onto him so he had easier access from behind. She bit down on his shoulder, enjoying the way he inhaled when she started stroking him through the fabric of his pants.

How could he not be hard, he wondered, feeling how even with just his fingers inside of her, she was already clenching around him. So wet… so wet for him. She wrapped her hand around his cock a little tighter and for a second his mind connected that tight wetness he was playing with, to the hand wrapped around his dick and it was just too much. He pulled the fingers out of her.

Hungrily, she disconnected from his mouth and took the hand, sucking it dry. He stared at her, lips parting and the hand that gripped her hips tightening on her as it dawned on him that she must be trying to kill him. She was just too fucking hot. Unbearably so. When he kissed her again, she tasted like something natural, a little bitter, and entirely intoxicating. He pushed her back towards the couch.

“Hey!” She laughed, tumbling back when her the backs of her knees hit the cushions. He kissed down her collarbone. Then, he ran a teasing tongue over her nipples. He sucked them into his mouth, and the feel of his tongue on her prompted her to sink her nails into his shoulders. Ella could see the line of muscles rippling down his back and was reminded of why it was so distracting when he wore tight fitting shirts. She gripped him even tighter when he reached a hand between them to tease her clit. She rocked against his touch, arching her breasts into his mouth, moaning quietly. That felt so good. 

She felt when he pushed her shorts aside, the sudden sensation of cool air over her— wow, she really was soaking wet, she was so turned on right now. His fingertips found her exposed clit and he pulled back to assess her reaction. Her lips were parted, eyes hooded hungrily. He reached his fingers briefly away from her clit to feel how wet she was again. He bit down on his lower lip and smiled when he again felt how she was melting under his touch.

“This is a problem,” He murmured.

“What is?” She asked breathlessly as he rubbed at her clit again.

“How wet you are, Ella.”

He yanked the shorts aside and knelt in front of her. She arched up and away from the couch when he started sucking on her clit. She moaned, burying her hand in his hair like she was holding him there. When he slid a finger in, he smiled a little, watching her face. It was almost a smirk, it was so confident. She soon realized why. Fuck, Nate was good at that. Another finger wedged in, making her gasp and start rocking herself up and down like she would if that were  _ him _ and not his hand. He let her slide her clit on his tongue. A glance up at the expression on her face made him moan.

“What time are they expecting us for breakfast?” She panted suddenly. He slid his dripping fingers out of her and leaned up to kiss her.

“I told them I was sleeping in,” He told her, voice vibrating against her lips. “We can order room service and meet them at the pool after noon.”

She stopped kissing him. “What time is it now?”

“Like ten?”

“Oh, good,” She kissed him hard, twisting and pushing him back down against the sofa so she was on top now. He was still in his jeans and she was still in his shorts, but she needed proximity. She kissed him like she could make him come that way, grinding her wet heat against his erection so he could feel her seeping through the fabric. He grabbed her ass, getting lost in this useless but absolutely delicious dry humping while they made out. She lost patience with their ministrations first. She pulled back. When he reached to kiss her again, she pushed him back against the couch with a flutter of her eyelashes. “Hold your horses and just chill a sec…”

“What are you..,” His voice was hoarse when he spoke. She scrambled off his lap and on her knees on the couch next to him. He cleared his throat. “Oh.”

She  smirked at him before undoing the fly of his jeans.  He helped her out, sliding them down. He sprang free and… she’d known he was hard, but it hit her just then that he was hard  _ for her.  _ They were really doing this and her heart raced as she leaned down. She planted a chaste peck on the tip of his dick, before looking up at him. He groaned, burying his hand in her hair.

“Fuck, Ella…” He resisted the urge to push that twisted up mouth down over his cock, but it turned out her plans aligned with his.

She wrapped her mouth around his dick. He was so hard he actually throbbed against her tongue. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so turned on it jerked around on it’s own like that. She teased the tip and he got back at her for torturing him by tracing distracting shapes with his fingertips on the lips of her pussy. The vibrations of her moaning around his cock made him hiss.

The taste of him, the feel of him filling up her mouth was so fucking good she couldn’t keep up her seductive vixen act. Giving in to her own enthusiasm, she pushed down, concentrating so she wouldn’t gag. He wasn’t an easy one to deep throat but she was going to give it her best try. She wrapped a hand around the base and challenged herself to meet it. She went down… and came back up… Down, a little closer to her hand now… and back up. She swirled the tip with her tongue and then sank back down. There. She was taking almost the whole thing. She really had to refocus when he sank his fingers inside her, but she was managing. The next downward stroke was a success. She held it for a second, bobbing a little so he could enjoy the tightness at the back of her throat. He had a hand in her hair and kept her there another moment longer, groaning. She came back up when he released her, eyes watering. Her mouth was red and puffy from the blowjob. She’d never looked so fucking sexy. She leaned to go back down on him, but he wasn’t having it. Unceremoniously, he stood and—

“Hey!” She yelped as he threw her over his shoulder. “Nate!”

“Don’t get me wrong, I was enjoying that,” He remarked, walking towards the bedroom. “But I think it’s time to go to bed, don’t you?”

“Nice ass,” She said slyly, watching him walk. He spanked her.

“Same here, you little cocktease.” He was grinning, she could hear it in his voice. He deposited her onto the bed and she gave him a once over, smiling. Looking at him naked was something that could never get old, she thought. She didn’t get to enjoy the view long before he pinned her to the bed, kissing her neck. “Do you have any idea… how badly I want to fuck you?”

“I just gave you a blowjob, I think I have some idea,” She laughed, the giggle quickly turning to a squeal when he bit down. He wanted to mark her up but he stopped himself. She wouldn’t be able to hide hickeys in that bikini he bought her. He considered putting in more foreplay time, but she was already writhing against him, pushing her hips against his erection so it would slip on her wet clit. No. No more foreplay. He reached down to line himself up, pulling back to look her in the eye as he sank in.

“Fuck,” She breathed as he dragged in and out slowly. She was so wet and he could feel her clinging to him tighter with every stroke. Fuck was right. She kept saying it, getting higher pitched and making other dirty, dirty noises while he opened her up. He didn’t really believe she knew how badly he wanted her, so he showed her. She gasped as he pushed deeper, tucking her knees up to her chest so he could keep going. He wanted more. He wanted to be deeper inside her. He wanted to keep making her lips part and her eyes squeeze shut, grimacing with pleasure. Missionary didn’t cut it after a while.

“Get up,” He ordered, sliding out. Ella slid a hand over her breasts and between her legs, raising an eyebrow at him. Where she was scraping this campy composure from, she had no idea.

“What do we say…”

“We say… do you want me to fuck you from behind, or not?” He stood. She smiled and complied.

“Very alpha,” She kissed him. He smirked.

“You fucking like it, don’t you,” He spun her around, gripping her arms behind her back. He kissed her neck and bit her shoulder. “Don’t you.”

“Yes,” She breathed. “I like it.”

“Good,” he growled, bending her over the bed. He didn’t mind letting her be in charge sometimes, but right now she was his. He had what he wanted right in front of him and he was going to do everything he could to let her know it belonged to him. He slid in, wincing at how tight she still was. She moaned as he angled downwards. Deep. So deep. He felt her fingers rubbing at her clit, brushing against him as he started speeding up his stroke. 

“God, that’s so good,” She moaned, her free hand clenching, balling up the sheets. 

“Fuck baby. Fuck baby,” He groaned leaning over her and squeezing her hips. She froze a little at the sound of him calling her baby, but he was pounding down into her now and the only thing that made the length of him bearable was playing with her clit. God, he was going to make her come like this. 

She was so wet and he could feel her tightening around him with an orgasm. He kept going, nice and hard until she let go with a high pitched whine. He pulled out, too close for this to be remotely safe anymore. Trembling a little from the orgasm, Ella pulled herself together enough to sit on the edge of the bed and suck on him. He rocked into her mouth, finding his release all over her tongue. He panted and pulled back. Not breaking eye contact, she made a show of swallowing it all and then smiled. He stared.  _ She is. She’s trying to kill me.  _

“Good sex?” She asked coyly. He raised an eyebrow and pushed her onto the bed, collapsing next to her.

“Good sex,” He sighed, placing a hand on her breast and tweaking the nipple.

“They’re sensitive!” She yelped, half-heartedly slapping his hand away. He laughed.

“I know.” He peered at her, partially obscured by a fold in the comforters. He could see one brown eye peering back. He reached out a hand and pushed back her hair. The eye closed. When his hand was gone, she reached out and gave his scalp a scratch, running her fingers through his hair. He exhaled, eyes falling closed. 

Nate came to briefly when Ella got up to close the drapes. He woodenly climbed under the covers with her, pulling her into his arms. 

Who knew when he would get this chance again. 

—————————————

They both woke up at noon, legs tangled together. Ella was sleeping halfway on his chest but opened her eyes when Nate jostled. She lay there for a second, but as consciousness crept in, she pulled back, flopping back onto the mattress. 

“Fuck,” She heard Nate curse as he yawned. The yawn was contagious. She stretched to her full length, pulling taut before relaxing into the bed again. She opened her eyes and looked over at him, reaching towards the nightstand.

Her throat tightened. This felt so normal and yet so alien. That was Nathaniel Archibald, head of The New York Spectator. Her employer. She was used to seeing him in boardrooms or leaning over the wall of her cubicle. But seeing him naked in bed, checking the time on his phone and then looking over at her with a smile— was it fucked up of her to wish she could have this all the time? Was it ungrateful? She’d gotten more than she ever thought she would with him, but she still wasn’t satisfied… which was terribly inconvenient.

Nate couldn’t help but let his eyes linger as she sat up in bed, the covers falling away from her breasts. 

“Good morning,” He murmured suggestively. She stretched again, putting herself on display. 

“Good morning yourself,” She smiled at the expression on his face before giving him a quick close-mouthed kiss. No need to subject him to post-nap breath. She rolled out of bed. “Do you know where I left my phone? I should text Serena to let her know I’m on the way.”

“It was in the living room last time I saw it,” He called to her. She walked back in, holding her phone and threw herself across the foot of the bed. She bent her legs at the knee and kicked them gently as she scrolled through her messages. 

He looked at her, lying there, and his stomach tied itself into a knot. They couldn’t just do this all day, no matter how much he wanted to. Not wanting to waste time, Nate pushed the covers down and crawled to her. He slid a hand up the back of her thigh. They were usually exchanging bucketfuls of banter, but maybe they’d just been substituting physical contact with words this whole time. Why say anything when he could just touch her?

She didn’t seem to mind the change in communication tactics. She wriggled, arching her back so his attention would go where it always did— her ass. He kissed one cheek, then the other. He bit down softly. 

“Quit it!” She wriggled again. He grabbed her with both hands and bit the other cheek.She yelped and wiggled out of his grasp. “Nate!”

“I had to make it even!” He excused himself, reaching up to kiss her shoulder. “Did Serena text you?”

“Yeah, about an hour ago. I’ll tell her I’m on my way now… You should head to the pool first and I’ll follow fifteen minutes later.”

“Well, that can wait a little longer, can’t it?” He muttered against her skin, kissing down her back. Her breath hitched.

“...I can be convinced…”

Nate smiled. He could be very persuasive when he wanted to be.

———————————

Ella had a hard time waiting those extra fifteen minutes. They hadn’t ended up eating anything and she was famished. Nate had assured her there would be breakfast at the pool. She tried not to remember how her heart had sank when he finally left the hotel room. There was something ominously final about it.

Well. She wasn’t going to make it easy on him in the clothes he’d bought her. White looked very good on her and the sun dress was gauzy, almost transparent so that the lines of her bikini visibly sectioned off her figure.

Nate tried not to stare when she strutted past his chair.

“Good morning everybody,” She leaned down to give Dan and Serena kisses on the cheek. She then turned to Nate. She smirked a little as she bent over to greet him, giving a full view down the loose dress. He raised an eyebrow.

“Good morning,” He returned. “Have breakfast yet?”

“I haven’t actually,” She took the chair next to him, biting back a smile.

About twenty minutes later, she had a plate of pancakes and eggs on her lap. 

“Oh, give me a bite!” Serena shook off water from the quick dip she’d just taken. The Miami sun was bearing down on them and she’d needed a swim. Ella speared a bit of pancake with some scrambled eggs and held it out for her. 

“These are some good pancakes,” She commented. S nodded enthusiastically, her mouth full. Ella continued, “Is the pool heated?”

At that she felt Nate look over at her. As it was, Serena frowned.

“Yeah…? But it’s not even cold…?”

“It’s only like 78 degrees, 80 and above is the sweet spot for swimming,” Ella replied with conviction. Dan sputtered from his chair.

“80 and above? Jesus…” 

Ella rolled her eyes. “Not everyone has ice in their veins!”

Leaving her mostly devoured plate with Serena, she stood up. Casually, she undid the ties of her dress and let it pool around her ankles. She bent over to gather it. Nate did his best not to appreciate his handiwork too openly. The bathing suit was itty bitty on her. She adjusted the cheeky bottoms on her hips with a snap of the elastic as she walked to the pool. He kept his eyes trained on his phone. 

On his periphery, he watched her sink under water and come back up, smoothing her dripping wet hair away from her face before starting a lazy stroke back and forth across the tiled pool. She avoided the few other guests that were bathing, admiring the intricate pattern of tiles on the bottom. At the deep end, she turned over on her back to float. She felt a splash and she bobbed on a wave coming from the edge of the pool. Before she knew it, a hand grabbed her ankle and yanked down. She shrieked and came up sputtering. Nate surfaced next to her, laughing.

“Nate! You absolute asshole!” She splashed him aggressively. The other bathers flashed them concerned glances and waded further away 

“That’s not a nice thing to say, Ella…” He sent a spray of water her direction. She quickly kicked to the edge of the pool. She couldn’t stay afloat and splash him at the same time. Clinging to the side, she laughed giddily as she got him repeatedly right in the face.

He dove under and came back up next to her, skimming a discreet hand up her leg. She was glaring at him but at least she’d stopped trying to drown him.

“Nate…” She growled quietly. “Serena and Dan are right over there.”

“They can’t see anything, relax,” He assured her, but moved back a little. He looked her over. “It’s really too bad you don’t like the ocean.”

“I have a phobia of being in deep water,” She corrected him. “Boats are fine.”

“Oh, yeah? Because I have a boat… Not that you didn’t already know that,” He teased. He could picture her lying out on a towel catching some sun on Ol’ Skipper. Maybe naked, to avoid tan lines of course.

“Well, I’ve never been invited on this alleged ‘boat,’” She made air-quotes with her free hand. “So for all I know the boat doesn’t exist.”

“Interesting logic,” Nate raised an eyebrow. “I guess I’ll just have to take you for a spin then, won’t I? Can’t have you believing I have an imaginary boat.”

Ella smiled. But it didn’t reach her eyes. It was fucked up of him to act like they were going to keep hanging out. She knew their dynamic already. They weren’t going to be caught within twenty feet of each other once they got back to New York. She shook that thought away. They had the rest of the day at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little iffy on the structure of this chapter but... I just felt that them giving in when they're so tired and under the influence just wasn't like them. I wanted their first time to be unmistakably intentional. The pacing of the sex scene is another thing I wasn't sure about but, hey, when you've waited this long it doesn't just rain, it pours, you feel me? As always, comments are appreciated :)


	22. El Rubio (Or: The Blond Guy)

“So, ese muchacho…” Her mother began. Ella kept her eyes on the television. They were watching An Affair to Remember,one of her grandmother's favorites. Aba sat silent, but smiling softly, as she watched the film. Ella had about an hour before she had to head to the airport and she’d been hoping “ese muchacho” wouldn’t come up in conversation. Obviously, her hopes had been in vain. 

“Dan?” Ella shoveled food in her mouth.

“No, el rubio,” Her mother specified. Right. The blonde one. The one Ella didn’t want to talk about right now… or ever.

“What about him?” She held back a sigh.

“He’s cute…”

“He’s my boss, mom,” Ella laughed tightly.

“Ah! I thought that’s who he was… You guys seem close,” Her mom remarked.

“We do?” Ella frowned. She shrugged. “He’s nice, we’re friends.”

“Ella!” Her father got her attention, coming in from the patio. The smell of cigarette smoke and booze followed him in. Ella pursed her lips. Her father pretended he didn’t see this. “Why didn’t you introduce us to Elena?”

“Elena?” She asked confusedly.

“El enamorado?” He posed the question and then cackled with laughter. Ella couldn’t help but chuckle. God damn it, he always got her with that one.

“I have no idea who you’re talking about, Dad.”

“El rubio, obviously,” He came and sat next to her. He turned to Aba and gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek. “Bella!”

Ella’s grandmother had been in a catatonic state for a couple of years now, but nonetheless managed to purse her mouth at him. Cesar chuckled. His mother in law had never been a fan of him. 

“So, qué está pasando con el rubio, eh?” He returned his focus to Ella.

“Nothing, Dad!”

“Liar.”

“Papi, I’m telling the truth!”

“The truth?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “You can’t handle the truth!”

Ella narrowed her eyes at him. “You think you’re funny, huh?”

“Yesenia, am I funny?” He turned to his wife.

“Hilarious, mi amor,” She replied, not taking her eyes off the TV. Cesar turned back to Ella with a smug smile.

“See? Listen, m’ija…” He looked her in the eyes and paused. “Are you listening?”

“Yes, Dad!” She exclaimed. Fuck’s sake, always with the preamble...

“No te metas con el rubio.”

Ella stared at him. Her father was very serious as he delivered the warning.

“I won’t,” She said quickly. “Can I watch the movie now?”

“Good. He can only bring you problems, mi amor,” He gave her a kiss on the cheek and stood again. He ambled to the kitchen.

“You should be nicer to your father,” Her mother said quietly. Ella shot her a look. 

“I’m nicer to him than he deserves.”

“Mima… I think he’s sick,” Yesenia forced the words out. Her daughter turned to her, frowning.

“What do you mean?” She asked slowly.

“They found something in his blood cuando fuimos hacer analises,” She whispered, hearing her husband rattling around in the kitchen. “It might be cancer. We have an appointment this week to do more tests.”

Ella looked shocked for a moment. Yesenia could have sworn she saw a flash of fear in her eyes, but then her nostrils flared.

“I’ve been telling you for years that he has to stop smoking!” She hissed. “God damn it, Mom, you never listen to me--.”

“Ella Maria, watch your mouth!” Her mother wasn’t playing anymore. “You think that this is my fault? Eh?”

“You’ve always enabled him--,” Ella shot back. Her mother raised her eyebrows.

“You think he listens to  _ me _ ? Do you remember what happened when I tried to throw away his cigarettes? Let’s not even talk about when I tried to keep him sober for a month-- Por favor! Have some compassion! He did this to himself--que te vale to start assigning blame now?” She raised her hands and brought them down on her legs with a smack. Cesar was coming back, beer in hand. Ella couldn’t take that stupid, shit-eating grin on his face.

“I’m going to go make sure my bags are in order,” She announced and stormed past him. Better to hide out with Thalia in the room. Suddenly, she couldn’t wait to go back to New York.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Yesenia Vazquez: "So, ese muchacho..."
> 
> Translation: "So, that guy..."
> 
> "El rubio"
> 
> Translation: "The blonde guy."
> 
> 2\. Cesar Vazquez: "El enamorado."
> 
> Translation: "The man who's in love." Or "The man who's in love with you." (The second one fits better for this context. The whole "Who's Elena?" "El enamorado!" is a pun that Cuban parents love torturing their kids with.)
> 
> "So, qué está pasando con el rubio, eh?"
> 
> Translation: "So, what's happening with the blond guy, huh?"
> 
> "No te metas con el rubio."
> 
> "Don't get involved with the blond guy."
> 
> 3\. Yesenia Vazquez: "Mima..."
> 
> Translation: "Honey..." or "Sweetie" (Abbreviation/ diminutive endearment derived from "M'ija" or "Mi amor.")
> 
> "They found something in his blood cuando fuimos hacer analises."
> 
> Translation: "They found something in his blood when we went to go do blood tests."
> 
> "Por favor!"
> 
> Translation: "Please!"
> 
> "Que te vale to start assigning blame now?"
> 
> Translation: "Of what value is it to you to start assigning blame now?"


	23. Cheese Metaphors Signal Trouble

She held a funeral for her enthusiasm when she went to work the next day. She felt drained. What had been supposed to be her vacation had ended being a non-stop fucking adventure. She only spared Eddy and Adam a brief hello before sitting at her desk. She wasn’t in the mood for banter. She wasn’t in the mood to work either, but there wasn’t really any choice in that. 

She started writing. She had a bunch of little blurbs for the app to churn out. Usually, this was stupidly easy for her. Not so today. She stared at the pile of shit she’d just typed and felt the urge to erase all of it. She decided against it. She could edit this until it was funny later. For now, she kept pushing forward. Dan was not going to be pleased with the quality of it, but at least she wouldn’t be going to him empty handed. 

A few hours later, she sighed internally as the frown on Dan’s face deepened with every new sentence he read. 

“El… what the fuck did you just hand me?” He looked at her incredulously. She’d never turned in anything this awful.

“My best attempt. Do you have any suggestions?” 

Dan squinted at her. It looked like Ella-- or at least, a tired version of Ella-- but where was the sarcasm? Where was the wit? He might accept work like this from his entry level writers, but not from her.

“This is your best attempt?” He scoffed. “We both know that’s not true.”

He held the samples out to her.

“...You don’t have any edits?” She asked, eyes round with shock.

“This is garbage. Do all of them over again,” He turned to his computer, dismissing her. 

“Dan… please, at least give me some feedback,” Ella’s voice broke. Dan’s eyes flew to her. Her eyes looked wet. The puffiness under her eyes was getting worse by the second.

“Hey, what’s going on?” He asked softly.

“I-- I just couldn’t do better today. I swear I tried, Dan, you know I don’t make excuses but…” She trailed off, feeling so ashamed of herself. She tried to stop herself from crying, but, as usual, that only made it worse.

“Okay… Is something going on outside of work?” He asked slowly. What could she tell him? Not about how she was having an anxiety attack every time she saw Nate out of the corner of her eye. Besides, distracting as he always was, he wasn’t the one causing her writer’s block.

“My mom told me before I left yesterday…” She swallowed hard. “She thinks my dad has cancer.”

“What? El, I’m so sorry,” Dan’s eyes softened with sympathy. He felt like an absolute prick.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about… I just feel out of sorts. They have a doctor’s appointment this week and then they can confirm what’s going on with him but… Please. Just point me in the right direction with this shit,” She gestured at the samples. “I’m begging you.”

Dan inhaled and took the papers up again. “Are you sure you don’t want to go home or something?”

“I can’t just miss work-- I need to save vacation days in case… they need me at some point,” She sniffed back more tears. Talking about this wasn’t helping her keep her composure.

“Okay, okay… Uh, let’s start at the top of this pile of garbage, shall we?” Dan gave her a gentle smile. She managed to smile back and wiped at her eyes.

“Yes, please.”

“Okay-- Well, get rid of this cheese metaphor for the love of god.”

\------------------------------------------------------------

Ella had been distant since they returned from Miami. Nate wasn’t surprised by this-- it was getting harder and harder to remember the last time they’d been friendly with each other at work. They were only speaking to each other when they had to, which wasn’t that often now that the app was on smooth waters. 

But he was worried about her. There was something off, she wasn’t smiling as much or cracking jokes with her coworkers during meetings like she used to. She spent every lunch hour holed up in Dan’s office with him and Serena, which was not something she’d regularly done before. Even the blurbs she was publishing on the app lacked their usual zest. They just weren’t that funny. Too matter of fact. The circles under her eyes also kept getting darker and deeper as the week wore on. Not that he was keeping tabs on her.  _ But who are we kidding. _

Then, on Friday, she came in a whopping one hour late to work. Nate’s worry melted into ire. He paced in his office after watching her swan in, again with the all black outfit, and a pair of sunglasses on her face. Sunglasses. Like some kind of hungover movie star. He didn’t understand-- did she think that because they’d slept together she no longer had to call before she showed up late to work? Ridiculous! Fixating on all the contempt she’d packed into her choice to wear sunglasses, he called Dan.

“Tell Ella I need her in my office now.”

“Dude. I’m not your secretary,” Dan’s frown was audible.”Why don’t you just walk over to her cubicle and--.”

“Humphrey!” Nate yelled.

“Fine! Jesus!” Dan hung up.

Minutes later, a shy knock came at his door.   
“Come in,” He barked. Ella opened the door, eyes droopy and red.

“You wanted to see me?” She sat down. Her voice sounded dry. Maybe she was just tired, but it wasn’t helping the flash of temper Nate was experiencing. She didn’t get to talk to him like that.

“You’re late.”

She lowered her eyes. “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.”

“Why are you late.” His voice was too tight. Too aggressive for the situation. He knew this, but he couldn’t seem to tone it down. He’d given her too much leeway, let their work relationship get too casual. She was taking advantage now, knowing how much it affected him to hurt her, turning those sympathy-seeking eyes on him. He wasn’t going to fall for it. He’d already given her too much--

“I... I was having a panic attack,” Ella wrung her hands, staring at how they turned white when she squeezed too hard. She had considered lying but it seemed like she only had one neuron firing right now and it couldn’t think of a better excuse than the truth.

Nate frowned.

“A panic attack? Did something happen?

Ella was turning red. But this wasn’t just the flush of embarrassment. It was the splotchy red of someone who was about to start crying.

“Um…” she chewed on her lip. He noticed how cut up her mouth was, as though she’d taken her little nervous tic too far this time. She avoided eye contact, not coyly, but to keep him from seeing how she was welling up. This was so embarrassing for her. “My mom called me last night. My dad has-- he has lung cancer.”

“Oh, shit.” Nate fell back against the back of his seat, all the fire in him thoroughly doused.

“Yeah.” Ella swallowed. She looked down at her knees. “I’m really sorry I was late I just… didn’t sleep last night and when the sun came up I just felt so tired and I couldn’t calm down—.”

She stopped herself from continuing. The panic was setting in again, talking about this. She inhaled raggedly and rubbed at her face. It had taken her a whole hour to bring herself back down this morning and this was undoing all of her work.

Nate crossed around his desk. He sat down next to her, inspecting her face with concern. 

“How many days has it been since you slept?” He asked, brow furrowed and eyes sparking with worry.

She looked over at him for a moment. The sight of him, looking so kind, made her feel worse. Her eyes went back to her knees.

“A c-couple… ugh I h-hate crying!” She started sobbing. Oh no. Nate’s eyes widened with panic.

“Hey, it’s okay— Come here, it’s okay,” he slid forward, reaching out for her. She slumped towards him without hesitation. She was going to get the front of his shirt so wet and gross but she couldn’t bring herself to care anymore. She was so tired.

“I’ve been such an a-asshole to him—“ her voice broke. His hand rubbed a soothing circle on her shoulder. 

“El, don’t forget you still have time with him— how far along is it?”

“Non-small cell… stage two. So just in the lung tissue but not in the lymph nodes or in other organs…” she sniffed, “I spent all night researching it.”

“Stage two? Ella, listen to me—,” He gave her a little squeeze so she’d really pay attention. “You still have time. People beat this kind of thing all the time now— It isn’t like it was even a decade ago. This isn’t a death sentence.”

“You can’t promise me that,” She whispered against his chest. The sobbing, however, had begun to still. 

“No, I can’t,” He sighed. “But right now neither of us knows what we’re talking about, right? Why don’t we see how treatment goes and take it from there?”

Her breathing was slower. “I have an awful feeling, Nate.”

“You haven’t slept in a couple days, El,” He reminded her. She pulled back a little to look at him and his hands fell to his lap. Their knees were still touching. “Why don’t you go home? You aren’t going to do any good work like this.”

“I already haven’t been,” She admitted. “I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with the lifestyle section but…”

“Yeah, I saw. A surprising use of cheese metaphors,” He chuckled as she groaned. “I really need you to sleep. Okay?”

“Okay…” She nodded compliantly and he took in how wrecked she really looked. She was barely awake right now.

“I’m going to call you a cab,” He informed her. She began to protest, but he frowned at her. “El, don’t start.”

Ella looked at him, not able to open her eyes wide, eyebrows knit together in an expression of exhaustion and confusion. 

“Okay, thank you,” She said in a small voice. 


	24. No Boys Allowed

Ella slept fitfully, exhausted as she was. But she slept. The buzzing of her phone woke her up.

“Hello?” She answered groggily, sitting up in bed. 

“Hey, sweetie, how are you feeling?”

“S?” Ella asked. Realization dawned on her. “Wait, did Nate ask you to check up on me?”

“He said he texted you, but he’s been in meetings all day. So I’m on Ella duty right now,” Serena laughed. “Rough morning, huh?”

“God, you have no idea,” Ella put her on speaker and started scrolling through her messages. Two from Nate (Spectator), one from this morning right after she’d zonked out:

_ Made it home ok? _

And another from only a half hour ago:

_ Just letting you know, I told S to check up on you. Stayed strong and didn’t give her details, tho, don’t worry. _

“What happened?” Serena asked, right on cue. Ella smiled at the messages. She appreciated that he hadn’t gone blabbing about her dad to the non-judging breakfast club. Not that she was planning on keeping this a secret, but still. Having privacy as an option was nice.

“...Was it something with Nate?” She followed up, encouraged by the silence on Ella’s end.

“What? No, nothing like that… uh, my dad is sick,” Ella felt her stomach knot itself up, shedding the calm of sleep in exchange for the same anxiety she’d felt this morning. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “They went to the doctor on Thursday… it’s lung cancer.”

“What?” Serena exclaimed. “Fuck, I’m so sorry, El… What are you doing tonight? You want to come over? We can talk or just watch movies…”

“That would actually be really nice,” Ella felt tears welling in her eyes. She didn’t want to be alone. There was too much time to think.

“Girls night it is! I’ll send the car over for you in an hour?”

“The- The car?” Ella sputtered. “I don’t think--”

“Good! See you in a little!” Serena hung up before Ella could start her usual protesting. Ella rolled her eyes. Upper east siders and their private chauffeurs…

\----------------------------

Serena had bottles of  rosé , a wii playstation, and an assortment of chick flicks waiting for her when she got to the Humphrey residence. Dan was out visiting family. They cracked into the bottles first, then challenged each other to a duel at guitar hero. Ella hadn’t played in years and Serena claimed she hadn’t either-- but her rendition of Free Bird by Lynnrd Skynnrd was suspiciously good.

They put on a movie afterwards-- Charade-- but the movie was soon forgotten as they kept sipping their rose, having a chat.

“I used to do this all the time with B,” Serena said wistfully. “Still do sometimes, but she’s got Henry now so it’s hard hanging out like we used to…”

“Kids, man. Not just for show after all,” Ella sighed. “You think you’ll have any?”

“Maybe in a few years,” She shrugged. “Dan and I have discussed it and we want to enjoy being together just the two of us for a while. You can’t just pick up and go on a trip with kids, you know? Blair’s a great mom and seeing her with Henry gives me baby fever sometimes but… not yet. I feel too young for it. What about you? You want kids at some point?”

Ella twisted her mouth. “Yes, I do. But I feel kind of the same way about it-- I don’t want them before I’m ready for the responsibility, I… I’ve seen what it’s like when people jump into things and have kids when they’re still kids themselves. It’s not a good time for anybody.”

“I’m going to assume you and your parents have some issues,” S observed with a wry smile. Ella chuckled a little into her glass.

“My dad has a highly addictive personality and my mother is a chronic enabler,” She looked at her glass of wine with a raise of her eyebrow. “It’s kind of funny that I’m drinking right now talking about it.”

Serena snorted. “Moderation is key, El. A little alcohol is fun-- too much is life-wrecking. Take it from me, someone who didn’t know the meaning of taking things slow for the majority of my life. Balance  _ is _ possible.”

“I tried so many times to just get him to cut back a little on the cigarettes and the boozing and the gambling, but he’s a one-taste-and-he-can’t-stop kind of person,” El sighed. “Sometimes I’m afraid I'm going to end up like him.”

Serena frowned at her. “I don’t think so… I’ve never seen someone who has their shit together the way you do. Except Blair. But her neuroses is her addiction, so…”

Ella laughed a little at that. 

“I don’t know. Everyone tells me we have the same sense of humor, my dad and me. I catch myself making jokes like he would sometimes and it just… I love him, but I don’t want to be like him,” she shook her head emphatically.

“El, I get you but… and don’t hurt me for saying this... your father is hilarious. He showed us a good time when we went by your place in Miami. I’m not telling you to let him off the hook for all the history you guys have, but I don’t think you should blind yourself to some of his good qualities, especially now…” Serena trailed off. “My mom had cancer for a while there, you know.”

Ella turned to her, wide-eyed. “Really? I’m so sorry, S.”

“Don’t be, It actually turned out to be a ploy by my father to insert himself in our lives again,” Serena assured her. Ella frowned in confusion.

“Your father… gave your mother cancer?”

“Gave her medication to induce the symptoms of cancer,” She corrected. 

“Right… And all of this was to get back in her good graces?” Ella raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, I don’t see the logic.”

“Logic?” Serena threw her head back and laughed. “Logic has no place in Upper East Side drama. Didn’t you read Gossip Girl back in the day?”

“For a couple of years there, yeah… I’ll be honest, the drama just got a little too ridiculous for me after a while,” Ella admitted.

“Well, if it was hard for you to read, imagine living with all that bullshit,” Serena rolled her eyes. “It was just scandal after scandal for years. To be fair, though, it was mostly our own fault. We were a bunch of kids who didn’t know what the fuck we were doing and our parents usually weren’t much better.”

“I’m going to assume you have some issues with your parents…” Ella quoted with a little smile.

“Understatement of the year,” S laughed. She sobered a little and turned to the petite woman next to her. “Have you been keeping contact with your family?”

“I’ve been calling every day…”

“You should set up regular Skype dates with your parents. Trust me, no matter how much they bother you, you’re going to be eaten alive by guilt if something happens and you weren’t spending time with them.”

“That’s… true. Ugh, my dad is going to give me so much shit, but whatever. This will be a test of my patience,” Ella spoke into her glass before taking the last swig. “You got any more of this?”

“What do you think?” S stood up from the couch.

“I’m thinking we’re about to get trashed,” Ella laughed.


	25. Breakfast at Humphrey's

When Ella woke up, there seemed to be people in the room with her. When she blinked a few times, she saw Dan and two women standing over her. Dan looked horrified for some reason, but the two women, a skinny blonde with big beautiful eyes and a darker skinned woman with lusciously coily hair, looked highly amused at the tableau they’d walked in on.

Ella sat up, wiping her mouth.

“Where am I?” She asked hoarsely. “What time is it?”

“You’re in my living room. And it’s nine,” Dan informed her, crossing his arms. “What have you done to my wife?”

She frowned in confusion and looked over to where he was staring. Serena was fast asleep on the other end of the couch.

“We may have been drinking last night…” She admitted.

“You don’t say,” The curly-haired woman chuckled. 

“Yeah, you guys look wrecked-- did we miss out on a slumber party?” The blonde laughed. Ella swallowed to wet her throat.

“The slumber party was not intentional, believe me…” She trailed off, pushing Serena’s shoulder. She was trying to be gentle but the blonde woke up immediately.

“Huh? What’s happening?” She sat up like she’d been electrocuted. She peered at their audience. “Jenny? Vanessa?” 

The women waved.

“Shit, it’s Saturday!” She turned to Ella, rubbing at her eyes. “We fell asleep!”

“Yeah, I know…” Ella sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She had such a headache. And her stomach was so empty it felt like it was trying to eat itself. “Fuck, I’m hungry.”

Jenny grinned. “Sounds like the perfect time to get started on those pancakes, big bro. Help you in the kitchen?”

“You want me to feed the person who inebriated my wife, J?” Dan exclaimed, already following her to the fridge.

“This person would really appreciate it!” Ella called after him. She looked over at the woman who was now settling into the chair across from them. “So, you’re Vanessa?”

“Last time I checked,” She chuckled. “And you must be... hungover?”

Ella looked at her in shock.

“How do you know my name?” She asked wide-eyed. Vanessa laughed-- ah, off to a good start with the nice strangers-- and Ella broke the serious expression. “I’m Ella. I work with Dan… and hang out with Serena on occasion.”

“You’re  _ friends _ with Serena,” Serena corrected. “Don’t make our relationship seem more casual than it is. I’m going to go brush my teeth, if you’d like to join me, El.”

She gave Ella a pointed look, opening her blue eyes wide open and gesturing towards her bedroom. Ella frowned.

“Okay…?” She stood to follow her, wondering at her strange behavior. “We’ll be right back, Vanessa--.”

There came a sudden knock on the door. Vanessa stood up.

“Got it!” She yelled. She threw the door open. “Archibald! You’re just in time for some pancakes!”

\--------------------------------------

When Nate had come over to the Humphrey’s for Saturday morning pancakes, he hadn’t expected to see literally everyone he’d ever slept with all crammed into their living room. 

Well. Not everyone (he had a very active sex life) and he’d never slept with Jenny (well, he did  _ sleep _ with her that one time but he didn’t have sex with her, which is an important distinction). But… Fuck, dude. He just couldn’t catch a break, could he?

Ella looked like a deer in headlights staring at him. She shook the expression off quickly, however. Nate was having a harder time acting natural. He had totally forgotten Jenny was in New York for the weekend visiting the Humphrey’s, having not been in town for Christmas due to work.

“Hey… everyone,” He called with an awkward wave for the general populace before rushing to the kitchen island. 

Ella took the chance to follow Serena into the bedroom. 

“I-- I have to go--,” She stuttered at her friend, who was currently flossing. S pointed at an extra toothbrush that Ella grabbed gratefully.

“Listen, don’t worry about Vanessa and Jenny, they don’t know anything about you or your… thing with Nate.”

Ella nearly choked on her toothpaste. Serena couldn’t possibly know what had happened on New Years--

“My thing with Nate? There is no thing! We’re friends!” She shrieked. She quickly lowered her voice, her brain processing the rest of what Serena had just said. “Wait, and why would I be worried about Vanessa and Jenny? They seem really nice? Why would they care if… Oh.”

Serena stared at the little brunette as the pieces began to fall in place. She realized she might have just caused a problem instead of fixing one.

“Oh.” Ella repeated, eyes growing wider by the second. “Oh! Fuck, they dated him, didn’t they? I’m here with Nate and his brigade of exes. Fuck. Shit. Serena, I have to go!”

“What does it matter that his exes are here?” The much taller woman turned to her, tilting her head with a snake-like glint in her eyes. She’d seen the way they were acting after they’d gone clubbing. Confirmation of her suspicions would be nice though…

“Just… uh… I don’t know, I feel weird…”

“Why do you feel weird?” Serena pressed, looming over her. Ella made a face at her.

“Why are  _ you _ so weird? Jesus, everytime he comes up it’s an interrogation from you, why can’t you just accept--.”

“Because you’re lying! Friends my ass--.”

“Serena!” Ella cut her off. “We are just friends! Friends! Okay? And this is so not the time to be discussing this anyway. I’ll stay for breakfast- but only if it means no more questions!”

She resumed brushing her teeth. Serena pursed her mouth for a moment, but then sighed.

“...Want to borrow some clean clothes?”

Ella looked at her gratefully.

“Yes, please…”

“You’re a terrible friend for keeping secrets, just for the record…” Serena told her as she sailed out of the bathroom. Ella looked at herself in the mirror. 

“Yeah, well. Some things just have to stay between you and me,” She told her reflection.

\---------------------------------

Breakfast was going better than Nate could have expected. Ella, for whatever reason, seemed to have decided to make it her mission for Vanessa and Jenny to fall in love with her. And it was working. 

“Did you really write the script for that?” She asked, leaning with interest towards what Vanessa was showing her on her phone. “I actually watched this in college and was a huge fan of it-- I can’t believe what a small world it is.”

“Thanks!” Vanessa smiled. “You know, I’ve been keeping up with your column in the Spectator for the longest time now… Do you ever do any creative work on the side?”

Ella bit her lip and scrunched up her nose. “Not anything worth showing anybody… yet.”

“Ooh, like what?” Jenny asked. “Scripts like Ness? Fiction? Maybe some raunchy fanfiction?”

She wagged an eyebrow playfully. Ella laughed.

“Aw, shit, you caught me. I’ve been working on some smut like you wouldn’t believe…” They laughed. Ella internally gave herself a high-five-- her mission to charm their pants off was going well so far. “So, Jenny, your brother told me you live in Paris now? Do tell…”

“Oh, France isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…” Jenny ducked her head, but Ella could see the proud flash in her eyes. 

“Oh, come off it, Jenny,” Dan scoffed. “She’s working at the atelier for Chanel when she isn’t collaborating with Blair-- you can’t get more Parisian than that.”

Ella’s mouth dropped open. “You work for Chanel? Please tell me you have pictures-- you’re living the dream!”

Jenny blushed a little and laughed, but sat up straighter. There was the Little J confidence Nate remembered from high school.

“It might be a dream if I actually managed to sleep a full eight hours every once in a while,” She shook her head. “I love it there, but they really work you to the bone.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Ella raised her glass of orange juice to her lips.

“Amen,” Dan muttered.

“Woah, you’re gonna just let that slide, Mr. Bossman?” Serena nudged Nate, who had been very quiet up until now. Too quiet. He had to participate or their guests would know something was up. Vanessa and Jenny weren’t stupid and the only new variable was Ella. 1+1= Awkward situation. Nate looked over at the petite brunette in question. Her expression was perfectly neutral. He shifted his attention to Dan.

“And I was considering giving you guys a raise… Oh, well,” He shrugged, before taking a bite of his pancakes with a sly smile. Ella wasn’t the only one who could be charming and funny…

“Now, hold on, I just said ‘amen.’ For all you know, I was blessing my food,” Dan argued. Ella squinted at him.

“Do you guys see how he’s trying to shove me under the bus?” She cried. “Listen, Humphrey, there’s enough room under here for both of us!”

“You just want to drag me down with you,” He muttered. 

“Maybe if you both behave we can discuss the possibility of me reconsidering your raises,” Nate offered diplomatically.

“This is a prime example of what we call ‘abuse of power,’” Vanessa chuckled. “Tsk tsk, Nate. Tsk tsk.”

Nate swallowed and laughed a little too loudly. No one seemed to notice, but Ella shot him a sharp little glance.  _ Be cool, Archibald. Be cool. _

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Sitting around chatting after breakfast, Ella was feeling like she wanted to go home now. She’d done her best with Vanessa and Jenny— they seemed to like her— but as great as they were she wasn’t in the state of mind for this kind of stressful situation. Not able to conjure up an excuse for leaving, she wandered to the fridge to get some more orange juice. 

“What, no more booze?” Nate appeared at her elbow. She looked up at him and twisted up her mouth in a wry little smile. 

“I’m all boozed out, thanks,” She poured herself a glass and replaced the pitcher in the fridge. Nate reached for a bottle of water once she stepped out of the way. 

“Are you at least feeling better?” He asked, voice low. It was okay to linger for a second away from the group, talking to each other. They couldn’t stay over here long, but just a few more moments…

Ella sighed. “I don’t feel so panicked anymore but I’ve got a lot of feelings to sift through. The parentals are… complicated.”

“Yeah, S told me you guys talked last night. You should listen to her advice,” He suggested. Ella shook her head. She’d seen them whispering after breakfast.

“She just tells you everything, doesn’t she,” She laughed. 

“I don’t think she tells me  _ everything _ , but...Does it matter? It’s not like you’re hiding anything from me, right?” He raised an eyebrow at her. She looked at him from the corner of her eye.

“I think you know more than enough about me,” She said with another twist of her mouth. He frowned as she pushed off the counter and rejoined the general conversation. He wanted to pull her back, ask her what she meant by that. He knew, of course, what she meant, but still…

Images of her naked, eyes watering, lips red from bites and kisses had been dancing through his head all week. He knew she was going through a lot, but he wondered if she’d been plagued by the same obsession. He exhaled, trying to expulse the ache of curiosity, and returned to his circle of exes.


	26. Ms. Vasquez

Dan wasn’t in the office on Monday. At about 8:30 am, Ella received a message from him. 

_ I have the flu. Can you cover the weekly presentation? _

The weekly presentation? Dan, and all the other editors, sat down once a week on Mondays with Nate to go over their plan for this week’s paper and get his approval before moving forward. Ella had sat in a few times, but she’d never done the presentation alone before.

Alone with Nate. Fuck. She typed out a frantic message to Dan:

_ Where are all the summaries??? _

She needed his list of topics and brief summaries for each potential article. He replied immediately:

_ My office should be unlocked. The folder for today is on my desktop, just print it out and take it with you. _

Ella rushed to his office. She sat at his computer and typed in his password and, despite the onslaught of anxiety she was feeling, still managed to laugh:

DERENA4EVER:*

Dan claimed it had been Serena’s idea. The jury was still out on that. In any case, she found the folder on his desktop-- which was totally cluttered with a bunch of outdated shit. She rolled her eyes. One day she’d convince him to let her reorganize his folder system. She printed out the summary and took it back to her desk. 

The lifestyle meeting was always last on Mondays. Not because it wasn’t important (cough cough) but because other sections usually needed more time to reach out to sources and draw up evidence. The political editors had the first slot, for example. 

So, at around 3:30, she waited nervously for the Sports editor to exit Nate’s office. 

“You okay?” Eddy asked, noticing the way her knee was bouncing under her desk on his way to the vending machine. “Forgot to take your meds or something?”

She glared at him. “I have to do the weekly presentation.”

“And you’re nervous?” He cracked up. “Aw, that’s so cute-- I could do it if you’re too scared, junior editor.”

She rolled her eyes. “You don’t even work in my section! Go bother Kendra, Ed.”

“Geez, you’re mean when you’re nervous…” He wandered off, tsking.

She frowned and looked to Adam, following close after his friend. 

“Was that mean of me?” She asked. 

“A smidge,” He admitted. “But that’s not unusual for you.”

Ella pursed her lips. She guessed she deserved that, considering how dismissive she’d been of them these past weeks.

“Thanks for the support, bud,” She turned back around. She looked at Nate’s office door. A few minutes later, it opened and the Sports editor exited. 

“Wish me luck!” She called to the lifestyle writers. They’d been helping her hash out all the summaries over lunch.

“Good luck!” They called back. They, at least, still liked her.

She knocked on Nate’s door before stepping in. He sat, enthroned behind his desk.

“Hi… Dan texted you, right?” She bit her lip.

“Yeah, he gave me a call. Sounded sick as a dog over the phone… Well, let’s get started, shall we?”

Ella shut the door and sat down, neatly spreading all the relevant documents in order of importance. 

“Okie dokies,” She started, looking to him for permission to begin. Nate held back a smile and nodded. “So, first things first, the Prince of Wales is in town with his new wife and son, so we’re going to need some photographers assigned to cover them and Jane’s at the ready for articles covering where they go and what they wear-- we can go over the list of available photographers at the end, if you’d like, and sort them by assignment.”

“Sounds perfect. What’s next?” Nate couldn’t help but smile now. She was chewing on her lip, but the skin had healed and just looked reddened now. It was distractingly adorable. Ella, for her part, was trying her hardest not to forget everything she’d rehearsed but being around Nate when he was smiling like that wasn’t helping. 

“The ousted mayor will be marrying his former secretary in a few weeks...”

“Really?” Nate looked surprised.

“Right?” Ella shook her head with a little laugh, “That man has terrible decision-making skills.”

“Must be in love,” Nate shrugged. Ella made a face.

“Uh-huh…” She dismissed his comment, “Anyway, I thought I’d cover it, since I have history with the story. I could do a newsflash and an opinion piece?”

“I’m sure it will be scathing,” He raised an eyebrow. She looked at him, frowning a little.

“...I don’t know if scathing is the right word? It will be funny, at least?” She looked over his face. He was being a little strange. “How do you want me to approach this? Do you want me to hold back?”

“It’s not that I want you to hold back…” Nate scrunched up his mouth, thinking of how to phrase this. “But just consider that our readers might actually find this kind of romantic… He gave up his job for her, after all.”

“After he cheated on his wife and spent months covering this up,” Ella pointed out. “Besides, you can’t argue with the ethical abuse. Public perception is against their relationship.”

Ella wanted the earth to open as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Nate’s face contorted. 

“You make a good point,” He said slowly, sorting out his wayward features into something more neutral.  _ Ethical abuse _ . The words bounced against the inside of his skull. “What’s next?”

“Vic’s got a source who works for the Met who says they have access to the decision making process when it comes to the guest list for the annual gala-- could make for an interesting piece. What do you think?”

The meeting continued, relatively cut and dry. Nate gave her his feedback and they went through the list of photographers, dividing them up by topic. As their time ended, Ella decided she needed clarification on one last thing.

“Sure, go for it,” He told her, leaning back in his chair.

“How do you want me to approach my piece after all?” She was chewing on her lip again. Nate tried not to stare, wishing he didn’t have to think about the ousted mayor’s predicament-- or how similar it was to his own. She continued speaking when he didn’t respond, “I could take it easy on him, if you think the readers are for it, but I don’t know… he’s not a very likeable character.”

“Because of the ethical abuse,” He quoted her dryly. Ella slumped a little, eyes wide. Of course that had bothered him. She quickly straightened up, however.

“No… Although that’s obviously a part of it,” she told him, making eye contact now, her expression a little stern. “He cheated on his wife, Nate. Most of the people reading my column are women--.”

“And Max Thompson…” Nate muttered. Ella rolled her eyes.

“Sure, but mostly women,” She continued. “I can’t just suddenly change tack and paint him as a romantic hero now!”

He frowned and leaned forward. “It seems like you have your mind made up-- I thought you were asking for my opinion?”

“I-- I am, I just…” Ella started wringing her hands. “I don’t want to do something you aren’t going to like.”

His expression softened. “You’d be hard pressed to do something I don’t like, El.”

She turned pink.

“Oh, uh… that’s good to know,” She smiled a little. She glanced down and looked back up at him, biting her lip. This didn’t seem nervous anymore, he noted. “... So what you’re saying is I can crucify him?”

Nate narrowed his eyes, not able to stop his mouth from twisting into a half-smile. 

“I can get you the nails and planks of wood, if needed,” He replied. She giggled.

“Much appreciated…” She seemed about to stand, but then looked at him again. “Thanks for asking Serena to check on me, by the way. Our little talk really helped.”

“I would have checked on you myself, but… meetings. You know how it is,” He said guiltily. They both ignored the fact that his meetings usually ended before the work day was over. She knew why he hadn’t checked up on her himself. He leaned back in his chair again. “Though, I think I would have made more of an effort if I’d known you two were going to throw a party.”

Ella’s blush returned again. “Okay, so we overdid it just a smidge with the  rosé . I wouldn’t call that a party--.”

“Getting so drunk you fall asleep playing guitar hero?” He raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like a party to me…”

She gasped indignantly.

“I’m sorry, and who are you to judge? You forget I’ve seen the kinds of things  _ you _ do in your off time, Mr. Archibald.”

He raised an eyebrow. He knew she was referring to the drugs, but that had almost sounded flirtatious. With the morbid curiosity of someone getting closer and closer to the edge of a precipice, he spoke again.

“Like I could forget when _ you _ were there doing them with me, Ms. Vazquez,” He leaned forward with a smile.

Fuck. Why did he have to make her last name sound so sexy? Her heart was beating like a drum. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about… You know, plausible deniability and all that...” She said slyly, looking anywhere but at him. Nate’s mind was going a mile a minute. She was going along with it. The perpetual debate he had with regards to her and… well, intimacy with her, had landed him on two sides of one very tall fence. On the one hand, they could write off New Years as a mistake. On the other… He’d been struck by a very stupid thought this past weekend-- what if he  _ could _ have Ella at least some of the time? They’d already slipped up, the ethics were already all fucked up… But she wasn’t done talking. She made eye contact with him, looking at him through her lashes. “... But if I did know what you were talking about, I would say I had a lot of fun getting into trouble with you.”

Jesus, that smile of hers was killer. And she was totally red now, like she wasn’t sure how he was going to react. But he didn’t seem to be reacting at all. He was just sort of staring at her. The flush of embarrassment got worse. She cleared her throat.

“Anyway, thanks for… the, uh, meeting,” She kicked herself for thanking him for a mandatory meeting but the words were out there now and she couldn’t reel them back in. She stood and walked to the door.

Nate was on his feet faster than he could think to stop himself. Ella felt a hand on her waist, turning her.  _ This is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done _ , his thoughts finally caught up to him. But contact with her lips was like a balm. He didn’t feel stupid anymore. He felt… turned on, frankly, feeling how she melted into the kiss. When he pulled back, she was staring at him with her mouth hanging open.

“What time is it?” He asked, voice low.

“Huh?” She asked, mouth closing.

“What time is it?” He repeated, with a little chuckle. She still looked dazed, so he continued, “You have your phone in your hand.”

“Oh, right,” She took a peek. “It’s about to be five.”

She looked back into his eyes. He kissed her again, pushing her against the door. So that’s what her hips felt like in slacks. He’d always wondered. She smoothed her hands over the collar of his suit, letting herself relax against him. He tasted so good. It brought back memories of New Years and she could feel herself getting wet at the very thought.

He pulled back finally after what felt like an eternity.

“I can come check on you later today… if you want.” His eyes were smoldering.

“I would… appreciate that…” She smiled a little, reaching up to kiss him. She bit down softly on his lower lip before letting him go. He gave her some space to straighten up. She looked up at him one last time. “...I’ll see you later then.”

As she left, Nate knew he was totally, completely, and oh so stupidly fucked. 

\-------------------------------

Nate took the subway to go see Ella. Harder to be tracked that way, he figured. Her street was still as ramshackle as he remembered, but looked more benign in the golden hour of twilight. 

He climbed all the way to the fourth floor before he realized he was forgetting a vital piece of information. He punched in her number. It rang for a moment and then she picked up.

“Hey.”

“Hey… what’s your apartment number?” He looked up and down the hall.

“You’re here?” She tried not to yelp. 

“Yeah, I just can’t remember—.” He heard a door scrape open behind him. He turned around. Ella had stepped into the hallway and was looking the other way. He smiled. “Behind you.”

She turned around, wide eyed, but then broke into a smile. He must have changed after leaving the office, looking adorably casual in a plaid button down.

“Hey there.” Her voice was low and welcoming through the phone.

He hung up and walked to her. She stepped aside for him and closed the door.

“You want to watch a movie or something—.” He was cut off by Ella kissing him. She’d been nervous about him seeing the inside of her apartment, but now that he was actually here, touching her, the nerves were gone.

He was surprised for a second, but quickly composed himself, smoothing back her hair and kissing her deeply. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and just enjoyed him for a second. Here. With her. In total privacy again.

She’d showered and put on her cutest pajamas. Nate seemed to be a fan, breathing in deeply when he kissed the crook of her neck like he was memorizing her smell. Peach shampoo and cocoa butter lotion, she thought to herself. Winning combination. The shorts were a hit as well, just a little too short, riding up over that distracting derrière. His hands wandered there so quickly she could have laughed. At the moment, however, her mouth was busy.

He smelled delicious himself. Cologne and soap against the heat of his skin. She started undoing the buttons of his shirt, making him chuckle against her collarbone. He came back up for a kiss.

“Somebody’s in a rush,” He murmured. She pulled back and out of his arms.

“We could add some Netflix to our chill, if you’d like,” She smirked, twirling around. She scooped the remote off the sofa and turned on her television. “I think they added the Simpson’s recently…”

Was it weird that hearing her say that turned him on? Maybe it was the way she was leaning over the back of her sofa on her tiptoes to scroll through Netflix, back arched, shorts and tank top riding up to expose tantalizing expanses of skin… He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her midsection, and pulled her close. He pressed up against her ass and kissed her neck.

“Sounds good,” he mumbled. Ella paused in what she was doing, distracted by his lips on her skin and the hard on he was pressing against her. Fuck. She shook herself and re-focused.

“If you keep doing that I’ll never get Netflix on!” She protested, prying his hands off her. “Go sit on my bed! Go!”

Nate sighed melodramatically and sat on the bed that was only two feet away from the sofa. The only thing distinguishing her bedroom from the rest of the space was a rug. He took off his shoes and socks. Soft rug, at least.

“There we go,” Ella sighed as she pressed play. She dropped the remote again and turned to Nate. He looked so good sitting there unbuttoning his shirt. She cocked a hip and smirked.

“You finished?” He asked with some petulance, dropping his shirt on the floor.

“Not yet… I’ve got one more thing I have to do…” He was about to protest but the words died in his throat as she had him stand. She got down on her knees, looking up at him while she undid the fly of his jeans. They pooled around his ankles. He kicked them off. When he was still again, she kissed along his thighs and then closed her lips softly over the erection tenting his boxers. Just her lips, dragging them softly closed so he could feel her hot breath through the fabric. She dropped down and let her lower lip catch on the protrusion, sliding it up. He was fully hard now.

She pulled down his boxers. He sat on the bed with a bounce.

“You’re going to let me enjoy it this time,” she warned, putting her mouth around him. 

“Fuck, if you insist...” He exhaled. She was such a tease, barely putting any of it inside. As she slowly took more, he rocked towards her. She took that easily, letting him drag on her tongue and hollowing out when he pulled back. She smiled at him and then cupped his balls.

He hissed a little but the sensation became more than bearable when she kept sucking him off. He spread his legs a little, gripping her hair. She was taking it so deep now, he could feel the back of her throat closing around him. She was really good at that. He was jealous of whoever had taught her how to do it.

“You’re going to make me come if you keep going,” He finally made her stop, despite his promises. She smirked up at him. “Come here.”

He pulled her onto his lap. She straddled him, pressing her lips to his and putting her tongue in his mouth so he could taste himself. Still in her shorts, she started grinding against his slick, hard dick. He gripped her ass. Was he crazy or could he feel how wet she was through the thin fabric of her shorts? He was way too fucking ready to find out. He laid them both back on the bed. She rolled off of him, stretching onto her belly while he stood. She stayed like that, arching her back and looking over her shoulder at him. 

Rustling in the pockets of his pants, he fished out a condom. Safety first this time. Task complete, he ran his hands up her legs, over her ass and hooked his fingers into the waistband, peeling them down. She was so wet her panties stuck to her when they came off. She bit her lip at the sensation. Too horny to continue with oral, he put a knee on either side of her and pushed inside. 

“Fuck,” She moaned. He braced his hands on the mattress and didn’t bother with the gentility this time. He knew she could take it. He remembered how she liked it from last time. He gave it to her deep and rough, his hips smacking against her ass, a hand coiling itself in her hair, keeping her back perfectly curved. He bit her shoulder, the sounds she was making drove him further. 

“You like that? You like it when I fuck you hard?” He posed this question repeatedly in her ear and kissed her sweaty cheek when she looked back at him. She looked both surprised at this little power play and totally out of it with pleasure, whimpering yes over and over. He couldn’t keep his eyes off the resulting expression, deciding he was going to keep it there as long as he could. 

She wasn’t one to come quickly, not with anyone, even herself. But maybe it was the situation, the knowing he wasn’t  _ supposed _ to be having sex with her, that just made it so fucking good. She knew she was fucked up, but she could tell he was getting off on it, too. It was the only way she could explain how intense this all felt with him. Which brought her back to the orgasm she was about to have very noisily while he pounded into her.

When she let go, he felt every spasm. He slowed down, pulling out and pushing back in slowly to see if she could keep going. She winced, she was so sensitive. He pulled out again with a little laugh.

“I thought only guys need a break after they cum. Can’t take anymore?” He asked her teasingly as she rolled over onto her back. She was panting, but still managed to give him a look.

“As if, just give me a second,” She spread her legs and started playing with herself. She’d just cum so hard her toes tingled, but she wanted to keep going. She had Nate in her bed and she couldn’t waste the opportunity. Her eyes landed on his erection-- it was just so there, so impossible to ignore and  _ so fucking hot _ .

He didn’t give her long to stare at him before he lay down next to her. He kissed her lazily while she kept touching herself. The sight of her masturbating to him was pornographic, to say the least. 

“Do you do this when you’re alone?” He asked, cupping her breasts before ducking his head to worry them with his mouth. 

“Sometimes,” She admitted, gasping a little as he rolled her nipple with his tongue. His mouth planted wet kisses up the tops of her breasts to the column of her neck.

“What do you usually think about?” He murmured against her skin. She smiled, still rubbing at her clit as he latched is lips onto her earlobe.

“You mean… do I ever touch myself thinking about you?” She asked breathlessly. He pulled back a little to look at her face. She was smirking, of course. “Maybe a few times… Why do you ask?”

She reached between them and took him in her hand, gently stroking. He was throbbing again, picturing her with her hands down her panties in this very bed, thinking about him.

“Well, no reason really,” He began, trying to focus on something other than her hand jerking him off. He ran his fingertips down the underside of her chin, down her sternum, pausing to draw light circles under her breasts and over her taut belly before touching her where he knew she wanted him to. Her eyes drifted closed. Her hand on him stilled a little, but he didn’t mind. He leaned down to brush his lips against her ear. “I’ve just been thinking about this since New Years, is all…”

“Fuck,” She whispered, bucking her hips a little, moaning as his fingers slipped into her slit, sinking in so tantalizingly slowly. He’d been thinking about her, getting off on the memory of the last time they had sex. The idea turned her on so much

Hearing the sound of her moans, he decided she’d recovered enough from her orgasm. He rolled her over onto her back, replacing her hand with his while he positioned himself between her legs. She brought her knees up to her chest as he sank in. Her mouth opened in an expression of utter satisfaction.

“You feel so good,” She groaned, almost like a complaint, like how dare he be so good? He would have chuckled if he weren’t currently buried inside her delicious wet heat.

He gripped the back of her neck and tried his hardest to fuck her gently. Nevertheless, she quickly started tightening up around him as she headed towards another orgasm. 

“Who’s pussy is this?” He murmured into her ear without really thinking about how possessive it sounded. It registered with him immediately afterwards that she wasn’t really his to be saying shit like that to her. But, he excused himself, she was into the rough, possessive stuff, right? He was just helping her get off...

Somewhere in her mind, Ella was capable of being surprised.

“It’s yours,” She moaned, pretending that she was playing along because this was just what you said when someone was fucking you like this. But on some weirdly deep level, she meant it. 

He kissed her, pounding her hard until she came, resting his forehead against hers. The convulsions of her orgasm tipped him over the edge and he felt himself pulse inside her. Fuuuuck that was good. He groaned and shuddered, pulling out slowly with a wince. 

“Now look who’s sensitive,” Ella teased, kissing his sex-swollen lips when he collapsed next to her. He breathed heavily. She moved her lips to his neck. “You fucked the fuck out of me.”

“Damn right I did,” Nate laughed breathlessly, pulling her to his chest. This felt so comfortable. He’d been planning to go a few more rounds, but, honestly, he was exhausted from work. Maybe they could watch the Simpsons and nap this way for a little while until they got their energy back up…

“What if I told you I want to go again, right now?” She asked, taking in his drained expression. He looked down at her with despair in his eyes. She laughed. “I’m just kidding, I can’t even move right now.”

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” He rolled his eyes, kissing the top of her head. That was too much, he realized after he did it. Fuck what was up with him? That was taking it too far, making this too intimate…  _ But wasn’t everything between them too far, too intimate at this point?  _ He was too tired to care any more.

“Ah, so you finally admit I’m cute,” Ella kissed his chest and settled against him comfortably. He shook with a chuckle, but she could tell he was going to fall asleep. That was okay. They had time.

———————————————-

When Nate woke up, he was alone in the bed. He could still hear Ella though. She was talking and laughing. When he reached full consciousness he realized she was on the couch, talking on the phone. From the sounds of the conversation— at least half in exasperated Spanish— she was talking to her parents. He got out of bed. The tv was still going so he sat next to her. She signaled him to be quiet.

“Yes, I’m going to be calling every day from now on Papi, I told you that yesterday and the day before,” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Ay, si? Yesenia, did you hear that? I must be dying or something!” 

Nate could hear her father’s distinctive cackle. Ella groaned. Nate tried to put an arm around her shoulders, but she shrugged it away, shifting further from him on the couch. He frowned. What was up with her?

“Don’t joke like that! That’s not funny!” She admonished her father. 

“Only because you’re being una pesada,” he told her, still laughing. “I’m not dying, mi amor, I’m only sick. Pero, you can keep calling me every day, si quieres.”

“You’re so lucky I love you, old man!” Ella yelled into the phone.

“Adios! Te queremos!” Her parents called to her, obviously amused by her exasperation, before hanging up. Ella tossed her phone onto the coffee table and shook her head. 

“I fucking love them so much, they’re so stupid,” She rubbed at her face.

“I can see where you get your sense of humor from,” Nate teased. She made a face. 

“Wrong thing to say, Nate,” She shook her head frustratedly. He frowned.

“What do you mean? What’s wrong?” He asked. Hadn’t they just been cuddling? What could have possibly changed while he’d been sleeping?

“Who’s Aurora?” Ella asked, crossing her arms. Nate raised his eyebrows. That was not what he’d expected to come out of her mouth. 

“...Aurora?” He asked slowly.

“Yeah, you got a call while you were sleeping. I wasn’t trying to snoop but it just lit up in front of me and you had unopened messages from her so they were right there and she said she wants to see you again… Who is she?” She rushed all this information out, refusing to get embarrassed. She hadn’t purposefully invaded his privacy, this information had literally presented itself and she wanted answers.

“She’s… the woman from the launch party. The potential investor,” He explained.

“Right. Listen, Nate,” Ella straightened up and looked him sternly in the eye. “I get that we aren’t a serious thing and I can’t ask you not to see other people. But if what you want is to fuck around with a bunch of women, then I don’t want to be one of them. That’s my prerogative, I think. So you just let me know if that’s what you want and I’ll bow out now. No harm, no foul.”

Nate looked at her, eyes wide. He hadn’t thought about making them monogamous or non… There’d been no planning involved in this afternoon’s events. Was openly agreeing to only having one fuck buddy this fast a good idea? He didn’t think it was, but the idea of not being able to keep what he had with her now that he’d had a second taste was growing less acceptable with every passing moment. Before rushing into promises, however, he decided to start with the truth.

“I don’t have anything going on with Aurora,” he informed her. “I took her on a couple of dates in December, but I haven’t seen her or answered her calls since Christmas.”

“You took a potential investor out on dates?” She raised an eyebrow. “I’m not in a position to judge, obviously, but Nate don’t you think that’s… a conflict of interests?”

“That’s why I haven’t been answering her calls anymore, El,” He decided to gloss over the other factor in deciding distance was necessary between him and the Blake heiress-- that other factor being Ella and the mysterious gravitational pull she exerted on him. Besides, just because there were multiple factors affecting his decision it didn’t negate what he was telling her now. “Taking her on dates was just me falling into old habits again…”

“Old habits? What does that mean?” She frowned, visibly relieved he hadn’t been talking to someone else while all  _ this _ was going on between them, whatever this was. Now she was inquisitive and she had a very intimidating version of her listening face going on.

“I’ve done a lot of things I regret in my life,” Nate exhaled. He could never resist the listening face. “Most of them have involved mixing sex into situations where it just didn’t belong. Like business. And friendships.”

He told her about how his family had arranged a marriage for him before he’d turned 18 with Blair. He told her about sleeping with Serena when he was still dating her best friend. About his eventual affair with a married woman. About Diana Payne, another financial backer who’d blurred the lines of her sexual and professional relationship with Nate.

Ella knew about some of this already. But hearing it from Nate— how he’d been used as a trading piece for most of his life—made it so real. She could see how he was still living with the repercussions, how even now he was hesitant about telling her, afraid of her judgement about all of it. She tried to ignore how she seemed to be the latest part of this destructive pattern-- she could unpack that thought later. Right now, she just put her arms around him, listening to him vent.

“I don’t care how rich the Blakes are. I don’t want to sell myself anymore, to anybody. For anything,” Nate concluded. 

“Then I’m proud of you,” Ella told him softly. “I… I’m sorry for overreacting. I know I don’t really get to ask you for anything in this situation—.”

“Don’t say that,” He shook his head. “I care about you. I don’t want to hurt you… you know that.”

“I appreciate that. Really, more than you know,” She looked him in the eye, looking very serious and a little sad. “But I wanted to say that I just can’t handle more stress in my life right now. Maybe getting involved with you at all is a bad idea—.”

Nate gave her a look that made her laugh.

“Well, it’s definitely a bad idea, but it will only be worse if there’s other people involved fucking it up even more… don’t you agree?”

“I see your point. So… just to clarify,” He cleared his throat, “You want to keep doing this on a regular basis?”

“Well, as regularly as we can safely manage it,” She said matter-of-factly. 

That was… That was good. But Nate wondered if she felt pressured by him. He wouldn’t be able to accept this unless she wanted it as badly as he did.

“And you’re aware that if you want to stop there will be zero repercussions from me… right?” He pressed. She gave him a strange look and then quirked a brow.

“You are not taking advantage of me, Nate, trust me. I haven’t been able to stay away from you no matter how stupid I know this is,” She gave a small laugh.

“I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page,” he chuckled, brushing her hair back from her face. She was looking at him so sweetly right now, he could feel his heart skipping beats. “And for the sake of staying on the same page, I won’t be involving other people.”

He hardly thought about it as he said it. He just knew it was true. She was blushing and looking away, a little smile on her face.

“You don’t have to say that, Nate…” She said softly. 

“Well, I said it because I wanted to, so get over it,” He told her. She was always protesting when people did nice things. He wasn’t going to take this false humility bit from her, no matter how cute it looked on her. She grinned at him now, laughing at how brusque he was being.

“And I was just thinking how sweet you are,” She giggled, planting a chaste kiss on his lips. “Geez, I let you get on top a couple of times and now you think you’re in charge, huh, Nate?”

“I  _ am _ sweet,” He growled, kissing her back— but more deeply this time. “And since when wasn’t I in charge?”

“Oh, forever ago,” She smirked against his lips. He pretended to pout but couldn’t keep it up when she pulled herself halfway onto his lap to make out. As though suddenly remembering something, she paused and pulled back a bit. “Unless having me in a room with three of your exes this last Saturday was part of your big master plan?”

Nate snorted. “If I had known who would be at breakfast I wouldn’t have shown up, believe me.”

Ella’s mouth opened in a gasp. “You— knowingly, willfully— would ignore information that I was trapped with your exes for breakfast and leave me to muddle through on my own?”

He squinted. “You were getting along perfectly with them!”

“Because they don’t know that you and I are—,” She gestured with her hands, which he assumed meant ‘fucking.’ She sighed. “Who knows, they would probably cool with it, they seem really great, I just… I’m a jealous person.”

She laughed embarrassedly into her hands

“ _ You’re _ a jealous person?” Nate asked incredulously, “You hide it pretty well.”

“It’s not their fault you fucked them,” Ella shrugged, ignoring his protests that he didn’t fuck Jenny, at least. “And I’ve already dealt with enough people disliking me, I don’t need two more…”

At the reminder of all the office drama she’d been plagued with because of him, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She sighed. He then pulled back and tilted his head at her, squinting a little.

“What?”

“If you’re admitting you’re a jealous person…” He began, eyes narrowed. “Then please tell me you haven’t purposefully been torturing me with Adam and Eddy.”

Ella gave him a look.

“I have not been torturing you with Adam and Eddy,” She rolled her eyes, leaning down to bite his shoulder. He hissed.

“Then what’s the deal with them, huh?” He muttered, biting her right back on the soft skin of her neck. She squealed and kissed him. Rather than pulling away immediately again, though, their lips slanted and parted almost instantly. 

“Fuck,” Ella pulled back, shaking her head like she was waking up. “Kissing you is really distracting…”

“I have that effect on people,” He replied smugly, eliciting another eyeroll. “But quit deflecting.” 

“Nothing is going with Adam and Eddy. I danced with them at the launch party and talk to them sometimes at work,” she explained, her tone dry and amused. Absently, she started playing with his hair the way you pet a riled up dog. “I’m not going to lie to you and tell you they aren’t trying to sleep with me… ‘cause they are. But I haven’t had time to take them up on the offers and I plan on continuing to be busy.”

“That must be going over well,” He remarked, tucking his hand in the waistband of her shorts. 

“Oh, they hate me now, I’m sure of it. But they’re civil and professional, and that’s what matters,” She nodded assuredly. 

“Does anyone at the office still bother you about the… rumors?” He asked, suddenly curious. Dan hadn’t mentioned anymore incidents, but he knew that rumors— especially one’s like that— tended to stick around.

“Oh, the ones where we’ve been sleeping together since you hired me?” She laughed shortly. “I think they’ve realized I’m there to stay and I know what I’m doing. But not having to deal with the political writers anymore has definitely cut back on the amount of bullshit I deal with.”

“I don’t think anyone will suspect something’s changed,” Nate was pensive. “We’ll just keep staying away from each other at work.”

“Works for me,” She kissed him again. Fuck, it just felt so nice being able to touch him how she wanted. As long as she got to do this with him while they were in private, there were a lot of things she was sure she could make work. She was sure of it.


	27. Friends

A few weeks later, Nate and Ella found themselves where they usually were on a Saturday night—on Ella’s couch, watching basketball. Well, Nate was watching basketball. Ella was lying down, her feet in his lap and her laptop on her chest, working on a few pieces she felt were still too rough for publishing on Monday. Nate absently massaged her feet. The Lakers weren’t his team, but they had an interesting line up this year, so he was watching the game with absorbed interest.

Ella was trying to focus on her work, but she kept glancing at him. He looked so… normal. Like he was just a fixture in her everyday life. And she supposed that, in some ways, he was. Their little secret affair was working out and no one at the office suspected a thing. Even the non-judging breakfast club had been minding their own business-- though Blair and Chuck still gave them odd looks from time to time. Ella should have been happy. She’d wanted to fuck Nate Archibald? Well, now she got to, regularly. But… her anxiety had been flaring up again. Her nails were chewed down to nubs. For a while, she’d tried to blame this solely on stress over her father, who wasn’t responding to treatment as well as he should have.

The blood stained coughing was one of the most disturbing parts of his illness. Every time he hacked up a lung when they were Skyping, she froze, staring at the truth of what her father was going through. He was angry a lot these days, sneaking drinks again. But her mom wasn’t backing down, either. As much as she feared her husband’s temper, she feared his death more

What a complicated situation. So many old toxic patterns being disrupted. It would either leave her father a better, healthier person… or it would kill him. Ella felt more and more homesick, watching all of this from afar. Her mom could have used her help, but she was stuck in New York because of work.

It lead to a constant feeling of guilt that the situation with Nate was definitely not helping. He’d been slowly coming over more and more often until, suddenly, he was sleeping over on weekends. Then came the ever more frequent slip ups where he’d call her “baby” by accident and, when Valentine’s day rolled around, she’d come home to find a bouquet of irises on her doorstep. By this point, Nate was spending from Friday afternoon all the way until Sunday morning with her and even had a designated toothbrush in her bathroom. 

… Which were all good things, right?

Wrong. 

Because, while he had turned her apartment into a home away from home and treated her basically how he would treat a girlfriend in their alone time, it must be reiterated that the inside of her apartment was the ONLY place they could be this way. As in… She’d never seen the inside of his apartment. She tried not to let it bother her, since it would be much easier to be caught with him if they were hanging around the Upper East Side together, but… it did bother her. They couldn’t go out together or tell anyone or hang out like normal people. Even that beautiful bouquet of black irises he’d had delivered was a tainted gift-- not only were they _black_ irises (the note had held a joke about the color she most liked to wear, obviously) but when she’d googled the meaning of the flowers (because this was Nate and he’d surely been trained in flower meanings at St. Jude’s), it turned out… Irises were the flowers for fucking _friendship_. 

He was a great fuck buddy, she couldn’t deny that, always being supportive and affectionate when they were together. But the lying and the secrecy was weighing on her. It seemed more and more, in her tired irrational moments, that their status as Employer and Employee was just an excuse he wielded to avoid letting them get closer. She knew deep down that wasn’t true. She knew she was distorting the whole situation because of her insecurity. 

The problem was, there was no way to know for sure where she stood with him without confronting him and possibly ruining everything. And if there were two things that triggered her anxiety most it was 1) not knowing things and 2) not being able to express herself honestly. She wanted to throw herself into this with him as enthusiastically as she threw herself into everything else in her life. She wanted _more_ … but felt incapable of asking for it. 

Nate always joked that she had an excessive aversion to people giving her things. He didn’t seem to understand that receiving gifts and favors made her uncomfortable because accepting them often meant having to admit she was missing something in the first place. With her new, ridiculously rich circle of friends, she felt even more uncomfortable accepting help, or in Nate’s case, telling him what she really wanted from him. 

Ugh, and here she was, obsessing about her relationship with Nate for the millionth time when she really should be focusing on her father or on the rough drafts she had in front of her. It wasn’t as though her work or her life had gotten less stressful just because she was fucking Nate Archibald. Work, in fact, had a new set of frustrations even without those toxic rumors swirling around.

She’d received emails from a few people offering her positions elsewhere that she’d never told Nate about. She didn’t know how to bring it up, especially since one of them was from Max Thompson and the other… was from Blair, funnily enough. She’d said no to them both (Max was her competition and she’d just had to tell Blair that she was not cut out for modeling for the 20th time). But. The options were weighing on her more and more as months passed and the promises Nate had made about a transfer and a raise never materialized. 

She damned her anxiety straight to hell. It was the part of herself she was most annoyed by. She felt caught in a loop. So weak. So vulnerable. So tired. In ever growing frustration, she looked at Nate just _sitting_ there like everything was fine. He couldn’t be oblivious to what she was going through. He just couldn’t.

“I think I want to start looking at other job options,” She said suddenly. That got his attention. He turned to her, a frown materializing on his face.

“What do you mean…? You hardly have any free time as it is, let alone with a side job,” Nate knew that probably wasn’t what she meant, but why start with assuming the worst?

She sighed. “Not a side job, Nate. Another job.”

“...Another job,” He repeated slowly, fixing on her with his eyes. 

“Yeah… as in I’d be quitting the Spectator,” She swallowed hard. There’d be no taking this back now.

“What? Why now?” He asked, straightening in his seat. Everything had been going so well! No one suspected! Nate didn’t understand the timing of this decision in the least.

“Why now?” Ella’s eyes flashed. He could play stupid with everyone else, but not with her. “Because I’ve had three panic attacks this week. You know this.”

“Yeah, but… that’s because you’re worried about your dad. That’s what you told me, wasn’t it? How does that connect to work?”

“Because it’s not just my dad! It’s everything! It’s too much!” She exploded, yanking her feet out of his lap and setting aside her computer. She rubbed at her face. “I’m so nervous all the time at work and I… this is so stupid, but I… I just keep _missing_ you more and more and I… I don’t know…”

She trailed off, turning red with embarrassment.

“Miss me? We spend every weekend together,” he said softly, taking in her miserable expression. She was turning red, embarrassed to even be saying this out loud but she couldn’t keep it to herself anymore.

“I know. And I’ve enjoyed every second of it, but... it just drives me crazy that I can’t have that all the time,” She finished her thought rapidly, like she hoped he might not hear it. But he did and his frown deepened. It had occurred to him that her increasing anxiety might have something to do with him, but had also thought she’d be honest with him about it. They’d agreed to honesty and openness, hadn’t they? She couldn’t just expect him to assume shit like this...

“Do you… Do you want to take a break? From this? We can do that, if it’s been affecting you at work,” He offered, using all of his discipline to actually get the words out. He didn’t want to end things. But she couldn’t just leave him like that, with the guilt of knowing it was his lack of self-control that shoved her out of a stable job.

“I don’t want to end this, Nate,” She shook her head. “That’s part of why I’m leaving.”

“You’re leaving so we can…” He trailed off. She wanted a relationship. He’d been trying his hardest to give one to her in whatever way he could, but work… It got in the way of everything. He knew this, but their careers were more important, weren’t they? He thought she’d been on board for that. He shook his head and re-focused. What mattered was Ella and her career. “Ella, you’re a junior editor at the Spectator. You would have to probably start all over again if you went somewhere else.”

“Maybe. Maybe not,” her brow furrowed. “Either way, I’m willing to put in the work if it means I know I’m progressing because of my own merits instead of just relying on you to promote me. Which you haven’t, by the way. You told me you wanted to start exploring a position for me somewhere other than the Lifestyle column when you made me junior editor, remember?”

“Yes, but I meant when the time was right…”

“And when will that time be? When will you ever feel comfortable giving me a pay raise now that we’re sleeping together?” She quirked an eyebrow, looking at him expectantly for an answer. He searched for a response, and she took in the long silence, nodding. “That’s what I thought. I need a new job, Nate, whether you want to stick around afterwards or not. But I would like it if you did.”

Nate exhaled. “Ella, I don’t think you understand how tough the job market is…”

“Did you hear anything I just said?” She exclaimed. “I know! But I’m good at my job aren’t I? You hired me because of my talent, remember? Unless you just hired me so you could fuck me. Is that it, Nate? Is that what all of this was? Is that why you don’t believe I can do this?” She was standing now, and yelling. Her neighbors would definitely be able to hear the muffled sounds of shouting. They’d already complained about how loud their sex was. Oh, well.

“Don’t say shit like that,” He growled, standing up as well. He pulled up to his full height. “You know that’s not why I hired you. I spent months trying not to— don’t act like I didn’t try to keep this from happening!”

“Fat lot of good it did us,” She said bitterly, rubbing at her eyes. “You obviously don’t think I can handle the real world—.”

“That’s not what I said!” He yelled. 

“You literally just told me I don’t understand how tough the job market is!” She yelled louder, flailing her arms. “What the fuck else is that supposed to imply, Nathaniel?”

“That you’ve had it easy at the Spectator! Not everywhere is like that, it could take you years to get the same position at another paper—.”

“Max Thompson offered me a better position months ago!” She screamed. He froze, blue eyes wide open. She quickly lowered her voice. “I didn’t take it, obviously, but he said he’d always be willing to consider me...” She crossed her arms and continued, looking at the floor. “I know my fucking value, Nate.”

“Ella…” He stepped forward, reaching his hands toward her. She stepped away, too riled up to want to be touched.

“I… I’m really not in the mood for basketball anymore. I think you should leave.”

“So you’re not even going to let me talk about this with you?” He exclaimed. “You’re just going to kick me out? You know that I’m not trying to hold you back. You know that I care about you. I’m sorry about how I said that shit about the job market, it was condescending but… you can’t blame me for being concerned, El! And now you tell me you’ve been talking with my competition without telling me? How am I the only bad guy in this situation?”

Ella closed her eyes, breathing deeply. “You aren’t, Nate. This is my point— this thing we have is ruining us. It’s turning us into people who lie all the time to the ones we care about and hold each other back from opportunity—.”

“Is that all this is to you? Something holding you back? You said it yourself you enjoy it when we’re together,” He stepped closer, desperation and exasperation making it feel like his chest was breaking in half. “Why can’t all of this wait until you’ve really established yourself in the business? I won’t get in your way, we can go back to being friends—.”

Her face contorted and turned red as he said the words. The image of black irises swam in front of her. 

“Nate, we are _not_ friends.” She said with quiet violence, knowing it would hurt him. How could he suggest that, after how close they’d become? This quiet affair had felt more like a relationship than anything she’d had in years but he was so willing to discard it… In her anger, she let herself twist the knife. “We have _never_ been friends. I’m turning in my two weeks notice tomorrow. Thank you for your concern, but I’ve given this a lot of thought and I’m going to be better off somewhere else.”

She crossed her arms, clearly wanting him to leave. He stared at her, feeling his blood boil. Nostrils flaring, he put on his shoes. There was nothing about this situation that didn’t piss him off. He headed for the door, and paused, hand on the knob.

“You were never special to me just because I wanted to fuck you,” He turned to her, voice low and angry. “Sex was always secondary. Just know that.”

With that, he scraped her door open and left. She followed and yanked it closed. She knew she’d made the right decision. Had she yelled more than she had planned to? Yes. Did she feel like shit right now? Yes. But she’d made the right decision. She knew where she stood with him. That fact would comfort her eventually. Just as soon as her guilt was done with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear reader...  
>  Y'ALL KNEW IT COULDN'T LAST, OKAY? I won't apologize for the angst! I did what I had to do for the sake of ~story structure~ and ~drama~ and... Okay, fine, I'll admit it. I'm a cruel goddess and these fictional characters are my unwitting playthings. *insert evil laughter*  
> XOXO,  
> Artemis Winnick ;)  
> P.S. You know what I WILL apologize for? Having so many paragraphs without dialogue at the beginning... Good lord am I sorry about that lmao


	28. Long Live the Queen

During the next two weeks, Nate might have been occupying himself being furious with her for leaving, but Ella was busy planning her future. She only had two weeks to execute her plan and she had to make decisions.

“I can’t go to Thompson,” Ella sighed. “It just doesn’t feel right.”

“Where will you go then?” Serena offered her a macaroon. They were hanging out in bed watching Impractical Jokers. 

“I don’t think I’m going to go back into journalism,” She looked off pensively, taking a bite of the cookie. “I only did that in college because I didn’t want to be a teacher and they always make it seem like those are your only two options as an English major. But publishing… I’d have to start at the bottom, but it’s kind of what I always wanted to do. Can you imagine a job where I just get to sit and edit stories all day, not just petty little gossip columns? Heaven! And now I have a fat portfolio of work and experience... I shouldn’t do too badly applying for jobs.”

Serena looked over at her. “So, there’s no way you’re staying at the Spectator?”

“Absolutely not,” She shook her head. Serena smiled and put her arms around her in a tight hug.

“I’m so proud of you. I wish you would have told me while this was happening, but…” She shrugged. Ella snorted.

“I’m sure you can understand my secrecy,” She said. She then sighed. “I feel good about this, don’t get me wrong, but I think Nate’s going to hate me forever.”

“He’s not going to hate you forever. He doesn’t even hate you now, he’s just… brooding. He does this when he knows he’s being a child about something.” Serena dismissed Ella’s claims with a shake of her hair. Ella snorted, not believing the blonde for even a second. She was just trying to make her feel better. She took a deep breath.

“Okay, so I’m about to ask you for something.” She said suddenly. Serena turned with a little quirk of her eyebrow.

“Okay? You want water or...?”

“No, I want a meeting with Blair Waldorf,” Ella rushed it out. “She kind of emailed me for a job in January modeling her summer collection. It was all very hush hush, she didn’t even want me to tell Nate... But I said no and now I’ve gotten to thinking that maybe I should do it so I can keep sending money to my parents while I wait for replies from the publishing houses.”

“You want me to set up a meeting with Blair?” She looked surprised. “How do you make even the most innocent things sound like you’re asking me to kill someone?”

Ella pursed her lips. “I’m assuming that’s a yes. And I don’t get why no one understands how I wouldn’t want to take advantage of my friendships...”

Serena rolled her eyes. “I’ll give her a call and set up a date.”

———————————

Ella dressed her best for the meeting with Blair. It might just be a modeling gig, but she took Mrs. Waldorf-Bass’s time very seriously. Black leather trousers, white button up and a black sweater under a structured gray coat. A little androgynous. A little sexy. Professional enough to be taken seriously, stylish enough to be inoffensive to Blair.

Blair herself sat in a lilac pantsuit with a mauve satin blouse. Her heels were bright yellow. Somehow... all of this worked. Ella was astounded by how totally unafraid of color the woman was. 

“Hi, Blair. Thanks for agreeing to see me,” She extended a hand. The business woman shook it and Ella sat down.

“So. You’ve reconsidered my offer,” Blair folded her hands. “What makes you think we still need you?”

“I don’t,” Ella replied. “I know you’ve probably already got another model lined up and I don’t expect you to take me instead if that’s the case.”

Blair studied her, leaning forward slightly. “It’s possible the position is open. But I need you to answer some questions first.”

“Sure,” the petite woman agreed, wondering what fresh interrogation tactics were about to get tested on her.

“What did you do to Nate?” Blair got to the point. He was her son’s godfather. This woman had obviously done something to plunge him back into his brooding moodiness and she intended to get all the facts before proceeding.

“What did I… What has he told you?” Ella frowned. “Don’t you think we should be talking about my work experience or something?”

“I’m the one asking questions, Ella. Besides, we both know you have no experience modeling so just answer: What did you do to my friend?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Ella replied through gritted teeth. “You think Serena would still speak to me if I’d done something terrible to him?”

“Serena is too trusting,” Blair waved her hand. “And that’s not an answer I accept.”

Ella breathed in deeply.  _ You could use the money _ , she reminded herself. She exhaled.

“I slept with him,” She said matter of factly. Blair had the eyes of a shark— she knew there was no point lying to her. “Serena probably already told you that.”

“She did. Although I already knew, you two are pretty easy to read,” Blair examined a flawless fingernail before looking up at Ella expectantly. “Go on. Continue.”

“My father has been sick,” Ella obliged tightly, forcing the words out. “It’s been very stressful and I couldn’t handle that plus what was going on with Nate. I told him I had to leave the Spectator and find work somewhere I could feel self-reliant again. I also… you know, I didn’t feel this could go anywhere serious with him if I stayed.”

That was harder to say than she thought. She needed to pause after the words were uttered. Blair tilted her head.

“What about the promotion? Are you threatening to leave the Spectator so he’ll promote you?”

Ella looked at Blair with such ferocity in her eyes it almost made her jump in her seat. She didn’t, of course-- you don’t jump in your seat when you’re wearing a $2,000 pantsuit-- but she  _ almost _ did. This was surprising from the usually sunny Ms. Vazquez she’d become acquainted with.

“I’m not  _ threatening _ to leave the Spectator-- I  _ am _ leaving the Spectator, whether he promotes me or not. It was just a point I made to him— in private, mind you— to show him he couldn’t treat me impartially. How much did he tell you, Blair?” 

“Enough,” She dismissed the question. She was still the one conducting this interrogation. “You told him you weren’t friends. That hurt him, why would you say that?”

“Jesus, he told you everything,” Ella laughed bitterly. “Did he tell you  _ why _ I said that? It’s because after everything that’s happened, he told me we could just go back to being friends and working together like… like none of it mattered. Like the most important thing was not losing his star employee…”

“He just doesn’t want you to lose your career,” Blair corrected.

“He was being a condescending ass,” Ella retorted. “I don’t mind working hard. I don’t mind starting over. I’ll put in the hours and work my way back up, there’s no way I won’t.”

Despite her self-assured speech, Blair was still looking at her unconvinced. Ella sighed.

“You know what, I just wanted this money to give to my family and help with rent while I’m job hunting. But I’ll find another way. Thank you, Blair,” She stood.

“Oh, sit down,” the queen commanded with a roll of her eyes. “You have the job.”

Pursing her lips, Ella sat down. Blair started clicking on her computer and the printer behind her (artfully disguised behind a huge vase of flowers) rumbled to life.

“The shoot is next week... Your last two weeks are up on Friday, right?” She inquired.

“Yes…”

“Perfect. The garments are already in your size range— Serena was helpful enough to give me that information— but we’ll do some final fittings on Sunday and shoot for the rest of next week. I’m thinking Little Havana…”

“You— already— what?” Ella spluttered.

“Nate doesn’t hate you, you know,” Blair confided. Serena and her had had a long chat before she’d accepted a meeting with Ella. “I know he isn’t the best at expressing himself sometimes, but he was coming from a good place. He’s just insecure.”

“I— what am I supposed to say to that?” Ella exclaimed. God damn the fucking non-judging breakfast club and their utter disregard for the privacy of others. “He hasn’t so much as looked at me since our fight, let alone tried to talk with me about it-- do you want me to pretend like that’s mature behavior? No! I won’t! He can just suck a dick and—!”

“Woah, there,” Blair stopped her, eyebrows lifting. “You’ve got a surprising amount of pent up rage for such a small person, you know that?”

“Yeah, well. It’s been a rough few months,” Ella huffed, calming down. “So... the shoot is in Miami?”

“You get to spend some time with your family, I get an interesting cover girl for this season’s photo story… It’s a win-win, don’t you think?”

Ella narrowed her eyes. There had to be a catch, but… She wasn’t in the position to be questioning Blair Waldorf-Bass. Blair watched as the appraising expression morphed into a resigned little half-smile.

“You’re going to tell Nate all about this, aren’t you.” She said.

Blair shrugged and handed her the itinerary she’d printed out. “I might.”

Ella shook her head-- but the woman looked amused rather than enraged now. She gathered the documents and stood to leave.

“Well, if you do talk to him… Tell him I look great, would you?” She left with a wink.


	29. Like Like

“You hired her for a modeling gig?” Nate was trying his hardest not to yell, not with Henry in his lap. He now realized that Blair had probably handed him the child as her way of trying to contain his rage when she informed him of her new work for hire.

“Yes, I told you I was interested months ago. Don’t act so surprised,” Blair sipped her coffee. Nate had been passing by almost everyday lately-- obviously lonely and seeking a distraction from the Ella situation. She was glad to be seeing more of him, but his mood was just going from bad to intolerable now.

“I don’t get it,” He started bitterly. “She made it seem like she just couldn’t  _ bear _ any more nepotism and now she’s gone to you for help-- of all people!”

“This isn’t nepotism, Nate,” Blair said sharply. “I scouted Ella on my own, it just happened to be at your launch party. She said no to me because she worked for you. That, obviously, has changed, so here we are.”

Chuck, reclining in his armchair with a tumbler of whiskey, looked away from the boxing match on his flat screen for a moment. “There’s no need for an outburst, Nathaniel. We know you’re still hung up on the Vazquez girl, but really…”

“I am not hung up on Ella!” 

“Who’s Ella?” Henry asked, wide-eyed. He had no idea who this person was-- he couldn’t be expected to remember  _ every _ random woman that had attended one of his mother’s dinner parties-- but she’d been the topic of conversation for at least ten minutes now and the curiosity was killing him. 

“A friend of Uncle Nate’s, honey,” Blair explained before turning to the much larger child holding her son. “Nate… You’re hung up on Ella.”

“What does hung up mean?” Henry interjected again. It sounded like something you did with a phone, not with a person… Nate looked down at his godson and then back up at his friends, eyes narrowed.

“Yeah, guys. Why don’t you explain to both of us what that means?” He said pointedly.

Chuck, nonplussed, smiled and made eye contact with his son. “It means Uncle Nate  _ like _ likes Ella.”

“Don’t listen to them, Henry. They’re just trying to bother me,” He muttered to the 6 year old. 

“I have a crush on a girl at school,” Henry replied, looking up at him. “Her name is Cindy. I asked her to be my girlfriend--.”

“His first,” Blair sighed romantically.

“Very pretty girl, too. Couldn’t be more proud,” Chuck smiled dotingly. Henry ignored them and continued.

“Why don’t you ask Ella to be your girlfriend if you  _ like _ like her?” He turned his wide blue eyes on his godfather who squinted back at him.

“You guys have been feeding him lines, huh?” He asked his smug parents. 

“Hen, why don’t you go find Dorota and see if the cookies are finished?” His mother asked him. He shrugged, old enough to realize when he was being kicked out.

“Okay,” He grumbled. He could always just listen at the door if the cookies proved to be a false promise. The child safely out of the room, Blair turned to her old friend with a stern expression.

“I had a long chat with Ella, you know,” She informed him. “Apparently, you gave me the wrong impression about your falling out. She isn’t trying to scam you for a promotion, she’s really just trying to bow out gracefully. Why are you giving her such a hard time?”

“First off, I never told you she was trying to scam me for a promotion-- you jumped to that conclusion on your own,” He corrected. “And I’m not giving her a hard time… She’s the one who’s leaving.”

“Have you spoken since your fight?” Blair asked gently. He looked so forlorn when he said she was leaving, it was actually touching.

“No…”’

Blair frowned. “At all?”

“We’ve been… busy…”

“Bullshit, Nathaniel!” Blair hissed quietly, lest Henry be listening in from the hallway. “She’s leaving the Spectator because that’s what’s best for everyone in this situation, can’t you see that?”

“Why is he obliged to keep talking to her?” Her husband interjected, a brow quirked. “Maybe he isn’t interested anymore.”

“Not interested anymore?” Blair exclaimed. “Just look at him, Chuck! He’s falling apart!”

Nate shook his head incredulously.

“I’m literally right here--.”

“Nathaniel is not falling apart, he’s just had a rough few weeks. He’ll recover,” Chuck ignored his friend and continued arguing with his wife. “What he needs is to get back out there, have some fun, some drinks, get a new girl--.”

“Right, because that always solves everything,” Blair pursed her mouth. “Let’s ignore his emotional needs and drown him in booze and whores-- what a great suggestion, my love.”

“Ahem!” Nate cleared his throat loudly. They both finally turned to him. “You know this is why I don’t come over more, right?”

“Nathaniel, we wouldn’t be so concerned if you would just talk to us,” Chuck told him with a little exasperation. “If you don’t like our advice, maybe you should tell us what you want instead of sitting there insisting denial is just a river in Egypt.”

“Yes. What he said,” Blair nodded. Nate leaned back against the sofa, wilting under their glares.

“If I talk to you...do you promise not to tell Ella? Or the Humphrey’s?” He asked, feeling incredibly juvenile.

“If there’s anybody who can keep a secret, it’s us,” Chuck assured him.

“Then…” He sighed. Where to begin? He’d had no one to confide in about this for so long and now there was just so much to sift through. “I know she was under a lot of pressure with her Dad and with work, but… It feels like she wanted to leave just as things were settling down with us.”

“So, you  _ are _ still interested in her?” Chuck followed up.

“Unfortunately,” He sighed. 

“Why aren’t you happy she’s leaving then? Doesn’t that mean you get to be together?” Blair knit her brows. She was surprised he was actually opening up. It had been a long time coming.

“But we were together  _ before _ ! God, that’s what pissed me off the most during our fight, she kept acting like what we were already doing was nothing. Us sleeping together was supposed to be a secret, but it was never… casual, you know? We got along way too well for there not to be feelings mixed into everything. It was the closest thing to a relationship I’d had since… well, since Sage Spencer.”

Chuck and Blair nodded, remembering the too-young actress that had been Nate’s last official girlfriend.

“And she still had her job, which is the really important thing…” He rubbed his face as he continued. “She only had to leave now because of me, do you understand? She worked so hard at the Spectator and, just like that, all of it means nothing because I couldn’t stay away from her. I… I feel like I am to her what Diana Payne was to me.”

He shuddered a little at his own comparison, but the thought had been eating him alive. Blair leaned back in her chair, eyes soft with concern. 

“Oh. I see. This is a guilt thing.”

“I told her everything I could to get her to stay and keep her job-- she wouldn’t listen,” He shook his head. “What if we keep seeing each other and she resents me if things don’t work out wherever she’s headed? Which might be the Times for all I know...”

“Nate… Ella isn’t afraid of her prospects,” Blair said slowly. “I don’t think you should be either. You aren’t the same as that bitch who used you years ago—You gave her every option, made sure she didn’t feel pressured… I think now it’s time to accept the decision she’s made and support her.”

Nate breathed deeply. “You guys keep forgetting she doesn’t want anything to do with me. She kicked me out of her apartment, remember?”

“...Have you considered… that you behaved in a rather…” Chuck tried to find the right word. One that was supportive but honest. His wife signalled to him.

“I’ve got this, babe. To quote Ella, you acted like a “condescending ass,’” She said bluntly. Chuck rolled his eyes. So much for trying to be sensitive. Nate’s face fell immediately.

“She said that?”

“She was just upset, sweetie,” Blair backtracked. “Now, I’m not saying she didn’t also expect you to be a mind reader in this situation and then just blew up on you… but the fight you two had made it seem like you didn’t have any faith in her. And telling her you two could just go back to being friends seems to be what made her assume you thought your whole relationship with her was just one for casual fucking… I think that if you just apologized, explained what you feel and how much you believe in her you guys ought to be able to smooth things over.”

Smooth things over. Nate considered that. What would that make them? Would they start dating, for real this time? Seeing the pensive expression on his face, Chuck decided to interrupt his brooding.

“Speaking of feelings, I have a question for you, Nathaniel,” He sipped his whiskey. “Do you love this girl?”

His friend’s eyes opened wide. He hadn’t even allowed himself to think the word in relation to Ella.

“I… I don’t know,” He answered honestly. “I really like her…”

“Is this an infatuation kind of thing that you’re going to get over in a few months?” Chuck leaned forward. “Because if it is, I say we all just drop this right here.”

Was this infatuation? He considered it.

“I… I don’t think so…? She— She’s so funny, and smart and— I know she can talk a big game and say inappropriate shit at the worst times, but she might be the kindest, hardest working person I’ve ever met…” He swallowed past the lump in his throat. Jesus, he was getting choked up and both his friends were staring at him now like he was growing another head out of the side of his neck. He didn’t know how else to describe this feeling. He’d been in love before but he’d always fallen so easily that he’d learned to be skeptical of his own emotions as he entered adulthood. Ella, though… She wasn’t just some beautiful woman on a pedestal, too above him to really get close to. She wasn’t just an idea he liked. She was a person, with her quirks and her flaws and her stupid jokes. And he really, really liked that person. He shook his head to snap out of his reverie. “If these last few months with her showed me anything, it’s that I don’t want her to just disappear from my life. She’s… she’s my best friend.”

There was a moment of silence and his eyes went straight to Chuck who raised an eyebrow.

“Well, fuck you, too, I guess. So much for the bro code,” Chuck laughed. “But… maybe you love her, man. You don’t have to rush anything, but… you can’t let her get away either. Not if she’s your best friend, Nate.”

Nate blew out a breath. He was in love with Ella. He let the thought float around his head, getting used to it. It sounded oddly right. Best friends who fuck… he looked at Blair and Chuck. Isn’t that what strong romantic relationships were, at their very essence?

“I need a drink,” He concluded, rubbing at his eyes.

Blair scoffed a little, having been watching his expression absorbedly. So much for a romantic revelation. Chuck laughed, stood from his chair and clapped his friend on the back.

“I’ve got a little chronic, too, if you  _ really _ want to relax…”

“You two take that outside and make sure Henry doesn’t catch you, or else!” Blair threatened. She shook her head. Men had such terrible coping mechanisms.


	30. Aaazucar!

Modeling was not as easy as Ella thought it would be. The clothes and locations were gorgeous-- she felt right at home amidst the familiar, vibrant neighborhoods Blair had selected. But it was these same familiar streets in addition to the sky high heels they’d put her in that proved to be the very problem she was facing. She kept tripping over cracks in the sidewalk and it was taking all of her concentration to stay looking model-esque. 

But, if the photos were to be believed, she’d been managing just fine.They started Monday in Wynwood, based on a suggestion from Ella. The photographer flipped over the abundance of murals, following her through the Wynwood Walls public exhibit. She was a little stiff at first, but then Blair called her over.

“Stop taking this so seriously,” She advised. “I’m not looking for Vogue. I want you to have fun-- okay?”

Armed with that advice, Ella quickly loosened up, jibing the photographer.

“How’s that, Jean Paul?” She looked down at him from over her shoulder so a huge painted octopus looked like it was sprouting from her neck.

“Belle!” He kissed his fingers. “That is what I’m talking about, mon Elle!”

In front of a mural of two lovers, hearts glowing neon in their chests, Ella was photographed in a quiet moment, head down, hand on the wall as though leaning there, purse at her side. Jean Paul surreptitiously showed it to Blair. It was a beautiful photo.

They’d started shooting in Little Havana on Wednesday, yesterday. The locals were amused and mesmerized by the over the top dresses, stopping and staring. Eventually, Blair had Ella start interacting with them. She was photographed ordering a colada from a little shop. She approached the famous domino tables and sat down for a round. Blair thought they might have found their cover shot to the whole catalogue when they captured Ella mischievously looking over her dominos, the structured shoulder of her dress sweeping out so she looked like a bird of paradise.

Right now, as Thursday was winding down, she was wearing her favorite dress yet— a rich navy blue number with a bright red sash, swirling into a large flower under her bust. They’d styled her with a warm bronze eye and flaming red lips, hair piled into a chignon. Walking down the arcaded sidewalk, they admired the murals of various celebrities. The caricatured faces of the Beatles, Pitbull, Celine Dion and more stared back at them.

“Stand in front of Celia,” The photographer instructed. “Yes, show her you love her, mon amour, she is queen of salsa and you are princess-- like that! Yes!”

Laughing at the instructions, Ella threw her head back. CLICK! Went the camera. She turned to the photographer, suddenly playful with a hand on her hip, her head tilted back and her purse hanging delicately from the crook of her other arm. CLICK!

“Oui! Like that! Beautiful! Give me more Celia-- channel her energy, mon amour!” The photographer squatted to get a new angle.

Just fucking around-- but also channeling her inner Celia Cruz-- Ella threw out her arms like she was about to start shimmying her chest as the salsa star was known to do.

“Aaazucar!” She cried, striking her pose. CLICK!

“Perfect!” Now  _ that _ was a cover shot!

Blair had brought Henry and Chuck with her. Chuck was at the hotel taking care of some business, but Henry had been helping his Mom all day. The well-dressed pair sat in the shade of the makeup/wardrobe tent. 

“Hey, kiddo,” Ella greeted the young Bass. “What have you been up to? Helping Marie again?”

The little boy had been scurrying after the wardrobe manager all morning and when Ella had asked him what he was doing, he’d replied that he was her assistant. She wondered if he’d tired of the position yet, looking at him slouched against his mother, cheeks red from activity. 

“Marie says I did all the ‘sisting she needed. I’m taking a break,” He informed her, rubbing at his eyes.

“Besides, it’s almost the end of the work day-- and we don’t pay overtime, mister!” Blair tickled him. He laughed. “I’m thinking it’s almost naptime, huh?”

“Almost,” He nodded sleepily. Ella smiled at the little exchange. 

“Is it almost naptime for me too?” She asked hopefully. Blair laughed.

“That was the last outfit of the day. Just one more day of shooting and we should have the whole collection photographed. I’ll call the car around and have them take you home,” The woman smiled at her. Ella leaned down to kiss the top of Henry’s head.

“I’ll be seeing the two of you tomorrow bright and early, then. Later!”


	31. Secondary

When Ella got home, she could hear music playing in the backyard. She paused in front of the door, listening to the sound of it drift to her on the wind. It filled her with a sudden ache. It reminded her of New Years. She’d been doing her best to keep herself busy, but the thought of Nate always crept up on her in quiet moments. She shook her head and went inside.

Her father probably had friends back there, the same good for nothings that kept sneaking him beers. Her mother had practically beaten them out of the house with a broom last time they were around— a change for the woman who was usually so quiet around her husband’s friends. Ella was proud of her. Things were still fucked up in the Vazquez household— there was too much history for there not to be— but there was a peace in the house. Her dad seemed to be responding to treatments and had actually been cooperating with staying sober… things were looking better.

She went to the sliding glass doors that led to her back yard. She looked out, feeling warm and homey and… who the fuck was that, sitting with her mother, father and sister at the domino's table? She pressed her face to the glass, saw that flash of dirty blonde hair—

She yanked the door open with a loud scrape. Everyone paused in their laughter and looked to Ella like they’d been caught with drugs at an airport. Ella crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. 

“Well, good evening everyone.” She greeted them dryly. “Nate.”

“Ella…” he stood from his chair. Her father also stood, hands up in the air defensively.

“Now, listen, m’ija,” He’s approached her using the soft tones of a hostage negotiator. The Vazquez’s had been made well aware that Nate was public enemy number one and his daughter was shooting daggers with her eyes. “El Rubio solo quiere hablar contigo… Why don’t you listen to what he has to say?”

“Aren’t you the one who told me que no me metiera con ese Rubio?” She hissed, gesturing towards the table. Nate watched the exchange with increasing worry. He hadn’t expected a parade when he got here, but she was flailing her hands around a lot. Maybe this wasn’t going to turn out as well as he thought...

“Ay! That was before! This is now! And he’s here to talk to you— Yesi, Thalia let’s go set the table for dinner, no?” He called to his wife and daughter who got up, giving Nate encouraging pats on the shoulder.

“Good luck,” Thalia laughed following her parents inside. This left Ella and Nate alone together, staring at each other from opposite ends of the patio.

“Hi,” he said awkwardly.

“Hi.”

“Would you like to… sit with me for a second?” He asked, pulling out a chair for her. She looked even more beautiful than he remembered. Her instagram photos really didn’t do her justice… not that he’d been stalking her social media because he missed her. Nope. Not him.

Pursing her lips, she closed the distance and sat down.

“Why are you here, Nate?” She didn’t know why but she suddenly felt like crying. What right did he have, surprising her like this? When she’d just been feeling good about herself, when she’d just been moving on—

“I came to apologize,” He locked his eyes on hers. Oh, no. Eye contact with Nate was never a good idea. Surprisingly, he broke first, looking down at his lap before speaking again. “I acted like a dick the last time we spoke. I made it seem like I didn’t believe you could make it on your own. But you, Ella, are the most self-sufficient person I know. And the smartest. And the kindest… And also the funniest. Basically... you’re great.”

God damn it, all that time he’d spent practicing this speech and he was still fumbling for words. Ella was a neon shade of pink, but he couldn’t tell if that was good or bad.

“I… appreciate the apology,” She said slowly.

“Oh, the apology isn’t even halfway over,” He assured her. She couldn’t help but smile a little, an expression he mirrored with sudden hope that she maybe didn’t actually hate him. He cleared his throat, pulling himself together. He had shit to say. “Because I am so sincerely sorry for not having faith in you and for putting you through so much while you were working at the Spectator… You didn’t deserve all the confusion and the drama. I wish sometimes that we could have met somewhere normal, you know? Like a bar or at a club… Things would have been different. I would have asked you out on an actual first date, convinced you to be with me the right way… You deserve that and I hate that I couldn’t give it to you.”

Her eyes were huge. He was so nervous he couldn’t read them but he plowed on ahead anyway.

“But life wasn’t that simple. I swear I thought that I was doing the right thing for you, telling you we could just be friends again. I can see now that was stupid of me, I just… I always felt like I had no self-control around you. I thought I was finally not being selfish with you.” 

Her expression loosened further. He continued, leaning closer now.

“But, what if all of this wasn’t just a lack of self-control, El?” He asked softly. “What if we couldn’t stay away from each other for a reason?”

She stared at him. All the anger was gone— replaced by wide-eyed shock.

“And what would that reason be?” She whispered.

“That I’m in love with you,” He said softly. “And you’re in love with me.”

_He... loves me? I love him?_ She tested it out in her head and something clicked in place. She was almost shocked by it— uncharacteristically, she couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Or at least I think you are,” Nate continued awkwardly, spurred by her blank stare and continuing silence. “...You could at least tell me if I’m right or if I’m way off base and I should leave—.”

Ella reached forward and kissed him. She pulled back.

“You love me?” She asked like she was worried this was all a misunderstanding. “Do you mean it? Are you sure you’re not just infatuated with me or, I don’t know, extra horny today or something—?”

He kissed her. 

“Sex is secondary, El. Remember?” He murmured against her lips. “I love you. I really love you.”

“I love you too,” She gasped, throwing herself into the kiss. Fuck she’d missed the way he tasted. The way he smelled. The way he was just _there_ and she knew that they could probably sit here for hours talking, just the two of them...

“Oye me! Yesi, mira! She’s kissing him!” Her father could be heard exclaiming from behind the glass door. Ella quickly let go of Nate and turned around.

“Papi! Really?” She yelled. Her mother and sister quickly dragged him from the window. She turned back to Nate, who was laughing, with a shake of her head. “These people, I swear to god… where were we?”

“I think we were doing something like this…” He leaned in and kissed her, smoothing her hair back gently.

“Right,” She giggled. She pulled back and looked at him, sweeping her delicate fingers over his cheek. “Nate I… I’m sorry about when I said we were never friends.”

He shrugged a little, leaning his face into her hand.

“I was being… frustrating. It’s okay.”

“No,” She shook her head. “I said it on purpose to hurt you. It was fucked up of me because…I thought it was too embarrassing to admit it at the time, but at that point you really were my best friend.”

She dropped her head, sniffing a little. 

“El…” He tilted her face up. He kissed her and she could feel so many things wrapped up in the gesture. Forgiveness, understanding… _love_. When they separated again, she tilted her head.

“So… not to be that person, but what does this mean, then? Are we… a thing?”

“If you’re trying to ask me if we’re dating… then yes, if you’ll have me,” He smiled.

She smirked. “Ah, my white knight. Always with the chivalry. It’s adorable.”

“And maybe,” He said loudly, ignoring her jibe, “If you need a place to crash when you get back to New York… you can stay with me…”

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking me to move in with you?”

“No… Maybe…” He looked right, then left, then back at her innocently. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d moved someone in so quickly, but from the expression on her face it appeared Ella Vasquez did things a little differently.

She laughed and kissed him. “I want to say yes, but maybe we should take it slow for now and see where this goes?”

“Good idea. See? This is why I keep you around, to talk some sense into me,” He kissed her again, but then nestled his face into the crook of her neck, planting kisses underneath the curtain of her hair.

“I’ve been hired by Penguin Publishing, by the way,” She said breathlessly. The way he was making her feel was totally inappropriate for her parents' backyard. He pulled back.

“Really?” He smiled, like the sun rising. 

“I got the call this morning,” She nodded happily. His eyes crinkled up and he gave her a million kisses all over her face until she was giggling like a child.

“I’m so proud of you, baby...”

He gathered her into a hug. It was all Ella could do to keep from crying. Apparently, however, it wasn’t enough because then she did start crying.

“El?” Nate asked, feeling her shake against his chest. He looked down and saw that her face was wet with tears. Oh, no. “Are you okay? Look at me, what’s wrong? Is this too much? Did I do something?”

She shook her head rapidly, hiccuping. 

“I’ve just missed you so much…” She cried against his chest. “These are ha— happy tears… Fuck I hate crying!”

Nate threw his head back and laughed.

“Jesus, well could you warn a guy? I thought you already wanted to break up with me…” He teased. She looked up at him, all watery-eyed and glaring. He smiled at her. “I love you.”

She smiled back. “I love you, too.”

The glass door scraped open again.

“If you two are done making out, dinner’s ready!” Her sister yelled. Nate and Ella rolled their eyes simultaneously.

“You ready to deal with the familia, Archibald?” She asked, before stopping herself. “I mean... baby? I still have to get used to calling you that.”

He laughed.

“As long as I get to sit next to you, it’s all good,” He assured her, standing and giving her his hand. Intertwining their fingers, they walked inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Cesar Vazquez: "El Rubio solo quiere hablar contigo..."
> 
> Translation: "The Blonde Guy just wants to talk to you..."
> 
> 2\. Ella Vazquez: "Aren't you the one who told me que no me metiera con ese Rubio?"
> 
> Translation: "Are you the one who told me not to get involved with that Blonde Guy?"
> 
> 3\. Cesar Vazquez: "Oye me! Yesi, mira!"
> 
> Translation: "Holy shit! Yesi, look!"
> 
> A/N: Aaaand here we are. The end. I'd say parting is such sweet sorrow but... maybe this isn't the end, huh? Maybe we all deserve to see some domestic Nate X Ella action? Maybe what we need is... a sequel? ;) Your comments have been so kind and I appreciate it so much! See you crazy kids next time, thanks for reading!  
> XOXO  
> Artemis Winnick


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